It's only a matter of Time
by Elemental-Zer0
Summary: [Finished] What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?
1. A Haunting Figure

**It is only a matter of time**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** this is my first fan-fic on Shaman King so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

_**Authors Notes: **I am trying to revamp this story because it's one of my first and a little outdated. The writing style is off and the grammer etc are so wrong! i honestly feel ashamed that I posted this online... SO! You'll be seeing alot of these little notes here telling you whether the chapters had been updated or not..._

**Notes: **

"_**Blah**_" Person speaking Ainu

'_Blah_' Person thinking

* * *

**Ch-1: A Haunting Figure **

The wind whispered past as they stood opposite each other; their eyes never leaving the others, neither daring to breathe. Yoh, HoroHoro, Ren and Ryu carefully watched as the young intruder assessed them with his icy glare. They were still for several seconds before the stranger stood forward and spoke. But it was not English.

"_**Hello children…**_" He greeted in his native tongue while removing his balaclava. It was a grey cotton like material, Ren noticed, that had an image of a burning phoenix just above the forehead area. It wasn't uncommon for people to wear balaclavas in this country considering how cold it could get here in North Hokkaido but there was something about the symbol that just felt a little… off?

Yoh and Ryo looked at the man stupidly before turning to HoroHoro for a translation. But the look on HoroHoro's face told them both that this man was trouble.

"_**We want no trouble here.**_" HoroHoro responded in the same language, not yet explaining what was going on.

"Horo, what's going on?" Yoh asked, getting the suspicion that the man was up to no good. The young Ainu went to respond but before he could, the man spoke again;

"_**Then you'll come quietly…**_" Ren frowned at the feral smile the man gave when he spoke but remained silent. If there was trouble, the baka Ainu would tell them.

"_**Your laws hold no ground in this region. Be gone with you…**_" HoroHoro replied a little viciously which surprised both Ren, Yoh and Ryu.

"_**Law or no law, you are Ainu and I am your hunter.**_" The man gave a sinister smile before continuing."_**Now your friends don't have to be involved… I can spare them if you come quietly. But if you don't, my friends have you surrounded and… well it won't be pretty**_." HoroHoro blanched at that and it didn't go unnoticed. The other three realised that the last unknown words of the stranger had somehow scared their friend.

'_Grrr, the smug bastard! How dare he play his game in Ainu territory! ...Damn, but what do I do? I'm probably outnumbered and it's not fair to ask Yoh and the others to fight my battles with me_.' HoroHoro's thoughts were ablaze as his gaze glared at the stranger. On the one hand he could call the man's bluff and risk being attacked and probably killed, but on the other hand his only option would be to turn his friends away and leave quietly. '_Damnit!_' He was torn between defeating a sworn enemy of the Ainu honour or saving the lives of his friends. It only took him a few seconds to make his decision. But now his problem was how he was going to get out of this alone. '_Koloro, I hope that you can find it in your lovable heart to forgive me for not being able to save your precious home…I'm so sorry._' And so with a loud sigh, he vocalised his decision.

"_**I'll come quietly…**_" He said dejectedly, visibly losing all thoughts of hope.

Yoh watched as HoroHoro visibly slumped. He had no idea what was going on but it didn't look to be in hid friend's favour. This didn't sit well with the young Shaman King and was about to voice his unease but HoroHoro finally spoke in a language they could understand.

"Yoh, Ren, Ryu please go ahead without me. You'll find the village a few miles south."

Ren frowned; the Ainu's voice was devoid of any emotion and he had yet to look away from the stranger too. He didn't need to be told that the guy was up to no good, any baka could figure that one out. But what he couldn't figure out was why HoroHoro was trying to go it alone with man? He stared hard at the boy, looking for the answer in his stance… wait, was that fear in his eyes?

"We're not leaving you with him Horo, so forget it." Yoh replied, also feeling the unease in the situation. Ren silently agreed and drew his weapon skilfully in an imposing manner. Yoh did the same and frowned hard at the unimpressed stranger before him.

HoroHoro was a little stunned but he composed himself again. He should've expected Yoh to defy his words and rebel.

"This isn't your battle." He said stoicly, still watching the stranger with wary eyes.

"I don't care, I don't trust this guy." Yoh reasoned still staring at the stranger.

"_**It seems your friends are a loyal bunch. Such a pity they ally themselves with Ainu trash…**_" The stranger smirked. Ren frowned harder, the bastard was enjoying this far too much.

"_**You leave them alone.**_" HoroHoro growled back in frustration.

"_**I will spare them if they leave, but I warn you, I won't tolerate any witnesses…**_" The stranger replied tauntingly. HoroHoro growled under his breath…

"Yoh, Ren, Ryu! Leave now!" HoroHoro commanded. But Ren and Yoh just took on a stronger stance while Ryu just looked a little confused in the background.

"We're not leaving baka, until you've explained to us the fuck this bastard is and what he wants with you of all people…" Ren replied, not liking the way this man was making HoroHoro react. This was a completely different side of the all-too-hyper boy he'd gotten acquainted with and immediately despised.

"Ask Pilika, she'll explain everything." HoroHoro replied just as icily "…go." But still they stood by his side.

"_**I think it's safe to say that your friends have made their decision…**_" The man said slyly, his thick voice intruding rudely on their conversation. HoroHoro paled visibly and Ren had to wonder if he could get any paler but soon found out when the stranger suddenly spoke again. "_**And you are going back to the camp.**_"

HoroHoro felt sick, there was no way he was going back there again… "You'll never take me alive!" He growled, forgetting to speak in Ainu as the Stranger took on a stance.

"_**You're going back to the Ghettos boy, and not even your friends can help you!**_" The man said grinning.

* * *

**A/N:**...What will happen to Ren, Yoh and Ryo? Who is this strange man? What is his connection to our favourite character, HoroHoro? Find out next time in "**Broken promises**."


	2. Broken Promises

**It is only a matter of time **

**I'm back, and I'd like to thank my two first reviewers for reviewing, so let's hear it for Silver Mirror and Lady girl! Thanks guys. And thank you Lady girl for the correct spelling of Ryu, see it's right now!!!! beams proudly any way on with the story!!!!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** This is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-2, Broken promises**

"**Yes**!" the word echoed across the frozen field and reverberated through the trees where a group of 6 men were crouched waiting for their leader's signal. Upon hearing their leader's voice they jumped into action.

They each held a gun in their hands and, as if they were moving as one body, they all brought their guns up to their eyes, aiming at the three kids behind the pathetic Ainu.

BANG!

* * *

BANG! The sound alone broke HoroHoro's will to live.

"Yah!"

"Umph!"

"Wah!"

The cries of his friends echoed through HoroHoro's mind. Never ending…

…still crying out

…unwavering

Until he realised that they weren't in his mind at all but real!

'**_They're alive? But how?'_** he spun round and found Ren, Yoh and Ryu trapped underneath a combat net struggling to find an exit. He went to try and help them but Yoh suddenly yelled out trying to warn him:

"Horo! Behind you!" but it was too late. HoroHoro slumped to his knees, wavering for a split second, eyes closing. Then he fell forward unconscious.

"**Move out. We're already late.**" the enemy said in an emotionless voice, rolling HoroHoro over none too gently, making sure he was unconscious, before continuing to tie the Ainu's wrists and ankles together.

Yoh, Ren and Ryu watched in dismay as their friend was unceremoniously flung over the enemy's shoulder and carried off into the white oblivion. Stolen away from them without even an explanation.

Yoh was not standing for this.

'**_I promised him I wouldn't leave and I will fulfil that promise!_**' he thought determinedly, as he struggled with the net holding him prisoner.

"Horo!" he yelled in desperation as they moved further and further out of sight, "leave him alone!!! Horo!!!!" but it was no use. He was gone…taken…from him and Yoh was still entrapped in this damned net! He was just about to give up and settle for staring in the direction the enemy had retreated in, when something caught his eye.

His Harusame!

He stretched his hand through the net hoping to grab it but it was just out of reach. Still he pushed his arm further and further through the restricting netting and prayed with all his might that he'd reach it in time.

Suddenly his cold and frozen fingers wrapped themselves around the familiar handle of his Harusame and he let out a triumphant;

"Yes!"

Within seconds he'd cut him, Ren and Ryu free from the offensive net, and had started heading the way those men had carried HoroHoro off in. But the men were nowhere to be found and neither was HoroHoro.

"Yoh, they're gone." Ren said feeling a strange sadness creep around him and for the first time found himself missing the annoying Baka.

"We have to go back, we'll freeze out here." Ryu reasoned, "Plus I don't think my hair gel is meant for cold temperatures." He added shivering exaggeratedly.

"NO! I won't leave him alone!" Yoh yelled clearly agitated, wishing he'd let their spirits come with them.

"Yoh. We can't help him if we turn into human popsicles!" Ren reasoned shaking Yoh's shoulders.

"I can't leave him Ren," Yoh cried out, sinking to his knees, ignoring the cold compacted snow melting into his clothes, "I promised him, Ren." He sighed through the sobs that overtook him. Ren lightly pulled Yoh to his feet and silently guided him back towards HoroHoro's house. The Delivery would have to wait.

* * *

Pilika sat in the lounge watching a sappy film, waiting restlessly for her brother to come back. Her parents had gone to Germany before she and the others had arrived here, but they're flight had been delayed. Now they have to wait for the weather to clear which didn't seem to want to.

Just then a loud bang sounded from the kitchen, and a second later Anna's voice cursed;

"Damn!-(pause)-Yoh!" she called out. Pilika stood up and went into to the kitchen only to find Anna perched on a wobbling ladder trying to stop another biscuit barrel from toppling off the top shelf.

"He's not here remember?" she said as she steadied the ladder and grabbed the biscuit barrel that had fallen on the floor and moved it to one side, saying something about getting Ryu to do it later seeing as he was the tallest.

"He should've been back by now the lazy, good for nothing-" Anna cursed. Then as if on cue, three bodies tumbled in through the door, one guiding another while the third struggled to close the door against the blizzard winds outside.

Pilika ran into the hall way, with Anna slowly following behind, hoping to find her brother, but he wasn't with them.

"Yoh where's Oniichan?" she asked hoping he was ok.

"Pilika…" Ren started, '**_God!I can't do this!'_** "I'm sorry but he…" again he couldn't finish. But he knew she had a right to know. "He was kidnapped by some men." He forced it out. Tears ran freely from Pilika's eyes as she, too, forced herself to listen.

"B...By whom?" she asked frantically.

"I don't know." Ren admitted finding a strange feeling of loss in some way. '**_Why do I care if that Baka has been taken? Was I not wishing for this very same thing a few months before?' T_**he thought of him wanting HoroHoro gone scared him now, as he tried to envision life without him but failed in doing so. Life seemed sort of...fun...with him around, even if it was in an annoying way.

Pilika was quiet for a minute, then she lifted her watery gaze to Ren's and asked slowly with fearful eyes;

"D…did they have ….phoenix symbol on them?"

Slightly surprised, Ren found himself nodding.

"Why? Do you know who they are?" Yoh suddenly asked snapping out of his shock.

"NO! They have him again!" She cried out as a bout of sobs escaped her. She ran up the stairs and in to her room, just as Manta and Faust entered the hallway. This outburst also bought curious spirits out from their hiding places, including Koloro who wondered where her Shaman friend was.

"What's with her?" Manta asked as they neared the hall way.

"Why we are all congregating in the hall way?" Faust asked as he helped Yoh to stand.

"Where's HoroHoro?" Manta asked.

"It would seem we're getting the third degree from our friends here." Ryu said as he led the way to the lounge. Every one, except Ren, (A/N; When does he ever sit down?) sat down to hear Yoh repeat the story of the earlier events.

* * *

**A/N:** What will happen to HoroHoro? What is Pilika hiding? Where are Chocolove and Lyserg? What's with all these questions? Find out next time in "**Whispered nothings."**


	3. Whispered Nothings

**It is only a matter of time **

**Hey! sorry for the wait everyone! I just finished my Chemistry and Psychology A level exam _sighs dramatically, _any ways I'm glad you're all enjoying this fic so here's another chappi for ya! This one's a bit dodgy in my eyes but tell me what ya think anyways, and remember; lots of reviews lots of chapters! **

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of Shaman King I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** This is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-3, Whispered nothings**

HoroHoro slowly woke up, groggily and stiff. He heard voices whispering and an unmistakable;

"Shush… he's waking up!" very carefully he opened his eyes, and was surprised that he did not recognise his surroundings, although they seemed vaguely familiar. Foreign faces gawked at him from all directions until…

"**No!**" he yelled bolting upright, scattering the children, then, frantically looking around, on the verge of hyperventilation. '**_Not again!_**' he pleaded for his mind to stop playing tricks on him. He closed his eyes and opened them again hoping the dreary scenery would change but, alas, he was back again…alone.

"No…" he sighed in shock, eyes wide as old forgotten memories reeled through his mind. Attacking at full force, paralysing him, sending his mind into a depressed recessive attitude.

"No!" he yelled, this time in English so the other boys could understand him, "I will not be subjected to this again!" he yelled pacing the 9x9 cell, trying to find a way out of the crude cell but finding none. He hopelessly leant against a wall and slowly slid down it until he was sat down staring woefully at the ceiling, tears silently falling down his scuffed cheeks.

"No." he whimpered as he hid his face in his arms and cried long and hard for the first time since his last ordeal here.

* * *

"Pilika you have to tell us what happened because we can't help your brother if you don't!" Ren half yelled at the distressed girl.

"Ren, calm down. She's not gonna talk if you yell at her." Yoh said feeling just as frustrated but acting calmer.

"Pilika my dear, you can trust us." Ryu said, kneeling in front of the child, "We want to help." Surprisingly he knew just the right words to coax Pilika into to explaining.

"Really?" she asked hesitantly, before looking at the nodding faces of the family she'd come to be a part of. "Well," she started, "It…it started about…four years ago when Oniichan and I were visiting my auntie in the village of Defun'dou…we didn't know that we weren't welcome there…"

"Why is that?" Manta asked curious as always to learn.

"well apparently the village of Defun'dou was at war with the Ainu people. No one in our village knew why," she explained, still hesitant, "So my mother and father took me and Oniichan to my Aunts' house so they could talk about it and find out what we had done to make them so angry…only… (sniffle)…they wouldn't listen to us…" she paused to wipe away a stray tear from her cheek. "Mother and Father came back to my Aunts' house for safety and told Oniichan and I to go upstairs and hide up there." She paused trying to find the rest of her words. "we heard a lot of shouts and screams…then we heard a window smash downstairs. It wasn't long after that, that we smelt smoke from down stairs." She looked around at the horrified faces staring at her. she instantly stilled her tongue refusing to say any more until she met Ren's gaze. He seemed to hold her there, encouraging her to go on with a vow to rescue her brother.

Anna noticed Pilika trembling slightly and put a comforting arm around Pilika's shoulders. Anna may be angry and grumpy most of the time, but she knew how to comfort as well. She wasn't the hard-ass bitch her reputation made her out to be. (A/N: This is how I see Anna, if I'm wrong about her then please tell me and I'll attempt to put her right)

"a…a…another window smashed and we saw the flames in the master bedroom grow wildly out of control. Oniichan said that we have to go but Mother and Father had told us to stay, but if we did, we would've died… he carried me down the stairs, I suppose he didn't want me trailing behind. The smoke was so thick, I couldn't breathe. But we made it to the kitchen with out any problems…" she stopped suddenly pictures flitting through her mind, reminding her of how upset she was, and how scared she felt.

"The ceiling had collapsed in the kitchen and under the rubble I saw my Mother's shawl, I thought the worst. Oniichan turned around and found the lounge and the large patio doors that led to the garden and the forest behind it. We managed to escape to a cave in the side of a cliff. There we huddled together until…_they_ came." She spoke the words with venom, making the others wish they'd never asked.

"The villagers surrounded us and had us trapped in the cave, with no escape. We were taken to a camp for the children of the Defun'dou's enemies, and were split up. I was forced to work in the factory all day and sometimes all night too, but Oniichan was forced to train and learn martial arts. He didn't know he was being trained to kill." She stopped there waiting for the inevitable onslaught of insults and rejections that HoroHoro had assured her would come. But they didn't. She did hear then gasp and murmur things like

"Those bastards"

"Why?"

"How?"

She waited for them to quieten themselves before continuing.

"He didn't have a choice. It was the rules of the camp. He had to fight to the death and win or I'd go without food or water…. For the tournaments I was hung in a wooden cage above a pit of spikes and so was some one else, but they were on the other side of the battlefield, both Oniichan and his opponent were to fight to the death or their siblings would go without food. It was the rules." She repeated. "It was horrible, at first he refused but when he saw what they would do to me…he…did what they wanted him to do." She was crying now, in Anna's embrace, but forced onwards with the story. "I yelled at him to stop but more and more people were put on the battlefield for him to defeat." She cried hard for a minute, reliving the fights in her mind, wishing them away, but still they came.

After she had calmed down slightly she continued,

"One night I managed to escape through a small hole in my cell, and stole the keys from the guard. It took me several minutes to find Oniichan but I did. He was so ill; I thought I'd lose him. But he managed to escape with me that night through a fox hole in the fence." She stopped, thinking back to that time and how angry she'd felt towards those people, for causing her brother to become so ill.

"It was the middle of winter" she continued, "and all we had on was our undergarments, but we made it to a house after, I don't know how long. Oniichan was very weak and had a high fever, but he survived. The woman then contacted the police station who phoned our parents to come pick us up. We told the police where the camp was but it had cleared out. The bastards were never found. We vowed to never think about what had happened during our stay at the camp, to never tell anyone. Not even my parents know what Oniichan did to feed me." she started crying fresh tears again,

Ren knew he'd had his share of hard times and always took it out on HoroHoro but if he'd known for one second, he'd have…he paused mid thought…would he have been so hard on him? He honestly didn't know but he'd promised Pilika that he'd find him and find him he would do! But how?

* * *

That night, while everyone was sleeping, Ren lay awake, hoping his friend was comfortable and well. Bason had long since disappeared doing whatever it was spirits did when it was dark, and everyone was snoring away, even Anna.

But still Ren could not sleep. If he closed his eyes, he'd see HoroHoro, slicing some poor kid's throat, with tears in his eyes wishing he could help Pilika in some other way. He'd look through HoroHoro's eyes and watch as, one by one, thousands of children were slain by his hands. He'd see himself in his own woes and see HoroHoro's happy face turn sour like it did when he was taken.

How could he do it? How could he act like it was nothing? The very thought of killing someone scared him, but to actually have killed someone and so many of them, and then act so…so…positive…so optimistic about life, it was unthinkable. One thing was for sure, he'd find out from HoroHoro himself or he wouldn't find out at all, and Ren was a person who liked to get what he wanted.

_Creeeeaaaakkk_

**_What was that?_** Ren sat up in bed, listening to the Ainu's house. A storm was still at large outside and the winds howled through the forest surrounding the quaint ice village. **_Just the wind_** Ren sighed. Why was he so easily scared now? What was wrong with him?

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

**_There it is again._** Ren stood up from his futon and moved to the bedroom door, grabbing his Kwon Doe as he went. He peeked outside into the dark hall, armed and ready for a fight.

_Knock. Tap. Tap._

_**It's coming form downstairs**. _He slowly moved to the top of the grand stair case and stood in a defensive stance peering through the dark shadows. A shiver crawled up his spine as he began to descend down the stairs, weary from insomnia.

_Sploosh. Tap. Tap. Knock. Bang._

**_It's in the kitchen. _**He thought to himself as he crept up to the kitchen door. A light shone form under the door way showing that some one was in there. Slowly he opened the door, and swung at the intruder.

"REN!" Pilika yelped as she ducked just in time, missing the edge of his Kwon Doe by mere millimetres.

"Pilika! What are you doing?" Ren gasped as he realised what he was about to do.

"I was getting a glass of milk, but I spilt it." She said showing her wet pyjama top. "what are you doing?" she asked.

"I heard some noises and I thought that someone had broken in." he said truthfully, still fighting for air.

"nobody in our village has ever had any crime committed against them." She said as she moved past him, back towards the stairs.

"Really? I would never had thou-" Ren began to reply but was cut off by was hard hit to the back of the head. He fell back unconscious, dropping his Kwon doe.

Pilika let out a stifled scream but was grabbed from behind. She felt a rag cover her mouth, and immediately felt the numbing effects of the sickly sweet liquid it was covered in. she started to lose consciousness as a figure came out of the darkness, showing his face.

"No!" she gasped in to the cloth, "Ren help me! Please." But he was out cold. Slowly she faded into the awaiting arms of sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **will Ren wake up in time to save Pilika? Will the others wake up and realise what's going on? Will HoroHoro lose his mind? Find out next time in "_**Old habits die Hard**_" 


	4. Old Habits die Hard

**It is only a matter of time **

**Oh I'm so mean; I left it on a cliff hanger!!! Sorry about that, but I couldn't help myself. I love writing cliff hangers! Anyway hopefully this one is slightly better than the last one which I think is totally sh…. And in answer to a question raised in my reviews, (_I love you guys!!!! You Rock!!!)_ HoroHoro and Pilika's aunt is like a step aunt, sort of like an aunt that isn't blood related, it's just polite to call her an aunt! Sorry if that wasn't clear but like I said earlier, that chapter was dodgy! On with the story!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of Shaman King I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** This is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-4, Old habits die Hard**

Ren woke up slowly, pulling his hand to his head as he did. It was then, that he remembered what had happened.

"Pilika!" he yelled and bolted upright. Two strong arms held him down,

"Is gone, they took her last night." Yoh said as he sat back on his haunches.

"So now they're both back in that dreadful place?" he said more than asked, but his tone was bitter and resentful. "And I let them take her."

"Well now we both have something in common." Yoh said quietly, not accusing but not defending Ren either. There was a pause while Ren thought back to when HoroHoro had been taken, when he had a sudden thought;

"Yoh?" he asked gaining his friends attention.

"Yeah?" Yoh answered still staring out in to space.

"Back in the field, you said that you'd promised HoroHoro something. What was all that about?" he asked curious as to what he'd promised HoroHoro.

"I…I promised him that I would never leave him alone." He said not really answering Ren's question.

"Why? What happened?" he asked feeling a painful headache approaching.

"I don't know why," he replied, "I mean, back when we all first met, I woke up one night and heard him screaming in his sleep, so I woke him up and he threw his arms around me holding on to me as though his life depended on it." He shivered as the scene ran through his mind again. He'd never seen HoroHoro act like that, he was usually so…optimistic about everything, even shaman battles.

"Then he started pleading me not to leave him alone, and that he was always alone and he'd had enough of it." He sighed, restlessly. "But the next morning when I spoke to him about it, he said he couldn't remember waking up that night." Yoh explained.

Ren listened only half heartedly. He was too busy beating himself up for losing Pilika to fully focus on anything else. Then another thought hit him; it was stormy last night!

He jumped out of bed, ignoring the wave of dizziness, and ran to the window, revealing a clear day outside.

"Yoh, how long has the weather been like this?" he asked urgently.

Yoh, startled by Ren's quick outburst followed him to the window. "I don't know…a half hour maybe." He replied confused. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong! For once something's right! They couldn't have travelled in the storm last night; it would've been too dangerous! So they must have stayed someplace nearby. Now that the weathers clear, they're able to travel and…"

"…They can't be that far ahead and there'd be fresh tracks in the snow!" Yoh finished finally catching on. "Get dressed. I'll go get Ryu and the others." Yoh said as he ran out of the door calling to everyone.

Ren stood there thanking every god he knew, that he'd finally been given a chance to prove, to himself, that he hadn't failed his friends. Then he rushed around to get ready for the pursuit of his goal.

The chase is on!

* * *

Pilika woke early that morning to howling winds and a bitingly cold floor on her side. She tried to move but had found that she was bound at her wrists and ankles. She made several attempts to free herself but failed badly. Instead she resigned to just listening to the sounds around her.

At first there was nothing but the afore said winds howling, then someone spoke;

"**I believe our little friend is awake."** The voice sounded male and old; either that or he was very cold which could be the case being in the north an' all.

"**well, as long as she behaves herself she can stay awake."** Another, more intense voice replied. Pilika found herself shivering at what he'd do if she didn't behave herself. Being in that camp, she had seen these men do many terrible things to the other children and didn't want to have anything done to her that couldn't be healed or reversed.

Then she heard what sounded like a door being opened and footsteps moving away from her. **_'they're gone_**' she sighed as she went back to discreetly trying her bonds again.

* * *

Everyone had assembled in the lounge ready for battle, armed to the teeth. Well sorta. Everyone had what they needed at least anyway. They stood to attention as Yoh gave out orders for each of them.

"Ryu!" he said loud and clear. Ryu straightened, doing his nest impersonation of a soldier about to go on a deadly mission. "You are to search all the old warehouses and closed down areas." He said dismissing him with a salute. It carried on like that until he got to the last person; Anna.

"Anna!" he yelled, and immediately regretted it as she scowled at him with a 'Do-that-again-and-I'll-kill-you' look. "Er, sorry…er…C…Could you please take the shops and local areas please?" Yoh asked changing tactics immediately.

"Of coarse Yoh all you had to do was ask me nicely." She smiled sarcastically and walked out of the door to carry out her task. Leaving Yoh and Manta to go around knocking on the doors of his friend's neighbours.

Oh yeah! This meant War! No one messes with this lot! (A/N; Sniff, my friends wouldn't do that for me, they'd be the ones doing this to me!!!Lol!)

* * *

Pilika had managed to free her wrists and remove her blindfold in the space of 15 minutes. Nobody had bothered to check on her in that time and she feared that they;d come for her soon.

She had found her self in an old basement, with a load of old machinery and tools. She untied her ankles quickly and looked around for an escape route. She found none.

She sat down and silently watched the shadows move across the floor as the sun began to rise.

'**_Wait a minute, shadows? The sun?' _**she looked around one last time and found a small window,**_ 'a window! _**'she silently prayed to who ever it was who was watching over her and managed to slide her small frame out of the window. She ran in to a surrounding forest, further away from the shack, deeper into the undergrowth.

Slowly everything looked vaguely familiar as she continued her trek forwards. '**_I know where I am!_**' she thought as she recognised a jutting rock in the ground. '**_There's the fallen tree, and there's the cave, there should be….yes! there it is! The village!' _**she jumped up and down triumphantly, and ran all the way home ignoring the cold, and the scrapes she'd acquired in her trek through the forest.

She ran through the front door and straight in to Yoh who had just come back from searching for her.

"Pilika!" he yelped as she landed on him.

* * *

"EVERYONE UP!" came an accented voice over the loudspeaker. HoroHoro woke instantly, wondering for the second time where he was, before it all came back. He found himself on the bottom bunk of a 3 bunk unit. Someone had obviously tried to make him comfortable, '**_But who?'_** he wondered offhandedly. As he jumped out of the bunk and walked over to the cell door where everyone was waiting in a line. **_'And since when did this cell get bigger?_** He noticed that the room he was in was slightly different to the one he originally found himself in. another change was that his clothes been taken from him. In their place, he wore a brown tattered shirt and some small blue trousers that came down to his calf. His feet were bare and his headband had been taken.

Once again he was stripped of his heritage and dignity, and placed among other 'unworthy' children who knew nothing of their history or people.

God he hated this place, but at least they didn't know he was a Shaman. '**_Let's keep it that way' _**he thought as he pictured the Grande director's face full of surprise when he demonstrates his power to free himself and as many other kids here.

The door opened, interrupting his thoughts, and a big burly man charged in with his 5 cronies behind him. The cronies set to work on sorting through the children leading them to their designated places while the big burly man made his way to HoroHoro in an intimidating manner.

"So, you're the newbie." He said grinning evilly as though he was going to do something terrible to him. "You don't look so tough." He said peering at HoroHoro like he was inspecting a piece of meat.

"Oh yeah?" HoroHoro replied raising his eyebrow. Watching the door with new faith in that these people had nothing to hold him with; last time Pilika was with him and they'd used her to get him to do as they asked, but now he was on his own, the worst they could do was kill him and that was fine with HoroHoro, if he didn't escape before hand that is.

"Ooh you got spunk kid, I'll give ya that. But ya see; spunk can get a kid killed around these parts ya know, but I suppose I'll let you off seeing as you're new and all." The 'tough guy' said mockingly.

"Hardly! I've been here before, escaped before, and I'll do it again." HoroHoro replied, quick to jump down this man throat, "You can't keep me here forever, you know why?"

"Oh and why would that be then?" the man asked sarcastically leering at the boy who dared to step up to him, or even speak in his presence. The other cronies had stopped to watch the action and so had the remaining kids who were watching in awe and some with sympathy. HoroHoro could almost hear their thoughts;

"Poor guy, he won't know what hit him."

"Wow he's either got guts or is insane" he ignored their looks of wonder and carried on with his speech, and yelled at the top of his lungs;

"BECAUSE I AM AINU AND I AM FREE!"

"THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK!" the irrated man yelled before raising his whip high above his head and bringing it down on HoroHoro, but HoroHoro ducked down and swung his leg out, kicking the guy down onto his butt, before leaping over his huge mass and heading for the door. But the first crony blocked his view.

He jumped up high and kicked out at the first crony, knocking him down and out. The second, jumped into his path only to be caught by the wrist and flipped over to the other side of the room. But the third managed to dodge his attack and get a punch into HoroHoro's stomach. HoroHoro ignored the searing pain and grabbed the cronies shoulders in a firm grip, he then jumped high into the air and flipped over him landing hard in the fourths face, then he pulled the third crony down by his shoulders, cracking the cronies head on the cement floor.

The fifth crony however was watching all this and decided to be prepared to battle heavily. He pulled out a knife from his pants pocket and waited for the attack, HoroHoro was about to pull.

HoroHoro didn't even pause after he finished with the fourth and third cronies. He jumped back up and took a running jump at the final crony, flying down towards…towards…a knife!

The knife scraped a deep gash in HoroHoro's left thigh. It was deep, but nothing serious. Still HoroHoro didn't expect it and was thrown off guard as well as off balance. He was then pinned to the floor by the fifth crony. He was caught and would most probably suffer for this act now.

"Well, that was uncalled for now wasn't it?" the fifth crony said breathlessly in HoroHoro's ear, as he struggled to hold the wriggling Ainu.

"Coward! You used a weapon." HoroHoro yelled out, wriggling even more, as the fifth managed to put shackles on HoroHoro's wrists and ankles.

"All's fair when fighting for your life mate. And in case you hadn't noticed, I don't want to die." The crony said tossing the Ainu back into the cell. HoroHoro fell over losing his footing when he tried to balance himself but getting stopped short due to the shackles that now held him in a stubborn grip.

"You'll learn to obey orders soon enough boy." The crony laughed maniacally, but HoroHoro had secretly found his footing again. He jumped up surprising the crony and flipped over his broad shoulders, but his chain accidentally caught in the cronies chin.

It slid down to his neck strangling him as HoroHoro's weight pulled him down and the chain tighter around the crony's neck. The crony's neck snapped from being pulled back at such an angle, killing him instantly.

HoroHoro heard the snapping sound and turned around to see what had happened only to come face to face with a dead body. It's head askew in an odd angle. Bone poking through the flesh in the side of the neck.

He watched paralysed as the seeping blood took him back to when he was at the camp the last time. He relived himself killing innocent children, fighting for the same reasons he was; his sibling's safety. He watched the blood spurt out of the sliced throat of a boy no older than he was at the time.

Another memory was of a small girl, barely managing to hold her sword up. He'd watched her struggle with the sword then give up. HoroHoro had knelt down to the girl, held her in a hug, and asked her where her family was. She had said that they were all dead. He had told her not to be afraid and that she'd be with her family soon. She had hugged him tighter and thanked him, right before he had plunged his sword deep into her chest, straight through her heart. He watched again as her body fell limp against him, and he'd cried for her and every other innocent child he'd slain.

He was roughly pulled put of his flash back by 3 pairs of hands. He complied with no further argument, as they marched him down several corridors, and into another smaller, darker cell. His shackles were locked to a ring in the wall pulling his arms high above his head in an achingly position. Then they left him alone, in the cold room, pondering his fate and reliving horrid, suppressed memories of his past.

A single silent tear traced it's way down his cheek, longing for freedom, but never reaching its goal as it soaked into his shirt; dying a slow, degrading and unnoticed death.

A/N so what happens next? Will HoroHoro kill again? Or will he refuse, and save another's life by ending his own? Find out next time in "The First Fight"


	5. The First Fight

**It's only a matter of Time**

**MY GOD! I'm so sorry for not posting sooner,I had A levels and everything so really sorry about that. **

**Okay, I was gonna tell ya where Chocolove and Lyserg were last chapter but I couldn't fit them in between all the action so I'll tell you now; Chocolove is in the USA visiting a friend (I don't really know his character so he's not in the story,) and Lyserg is staying with him, for the same reason as above! **

**And in answer to a question raised in my reviews, Koloro (I'm spelling her this way because that's how it's spelt in the official website! There are other ways of spelling it tho!) Is with Ren et al. because I'm assuming she won't know how to find HoroHoro unless he calls for her specifically, but if I'm wrong then please correct me! The reason he hasn't called for her yet is so that his cover isn't blown as a Shaman as this is crucial to the story. **

**Any way, enough drabble...on with the story!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of Shaman King I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** This is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**The First Fight**

Pilika stifled a gasp as she fell onto Yoh, feeling a searing pain shoot up her leg from her ankle as it twisted in an awkward direction.

"Pilika! Where were you? What happened?" Ren reeled off the questions as he rushed over to help her up.

"I was in a shack, tied up, I escaped and ran here!" she said answering every question with no emotion. "We need to find Oniichan!" she said changing the subject immediately.

"Are you ok? Did they hurt you?" Yoh asked noticing her limp a little.

"I'm fine but Oniichan needs us, we have to find him!" she said more urgently.

"Why?" Manta asked as he caught how she was pressing the subject.

"I really have to tell you why?" she snapped, turning her icy stare in his direction, which elicited a little "Eep!" out of him

"It's just that you seem even more upset now than you did before, Pilika, what did you hear?" Faust asked as he watched her limp over to the couch.

"The Tournament starts tonight." she said worriedly, knowing full well what HoroHoro would be put through. "They'll wake him up early, and train him all day then force him to fight in the Tournament tonight."

"They can't force him if he doesn't want to; they have nothing to hold against him. You're safe here." Manta said trying to make up for the earlier mistake.

"He doesn't know that. What if they show him my headband? What will he think?" she asked forgetting to mention the fact that they now had it in their possession.

"Alright we'll go as soon as we can, but you're staying here." Yoh said as he stood up. Pilika shot up in sudden protest.

"What!" she shrieked, but stumbled on her ankle and fell forward into Ren's arms.

"I don't care whether it's your brother or your pet pig we're saving, you're not coming on that ankle, and that's that." Yoh said firmly, walking out of the room to get his Harusame.

Pilika sat down on the worn sofa and silently watched the fire as it burned a hole in the back of her mind. She, Manta, Anna and Faust, sat there quietly for a long time, until Pilika spoke up "Do you think he's ok?"

To Anna, the strong minded and determined teen, now sounded very fragile and small. She now understood why HoroHoro and Pilika were so close, but so very far apart.

"He's a strong kid thanks to you Pilika. He'll be fine." She answered in the most positive way she could with out promising anything. This seemed to help as Pilika leant back into the armchair, bringing her legs up into the stand alone chair, curling up in a comfortable position. Soon she was asleep, in front of the fire.

Anna dug out a blanket and draped it over her still form, wishing the phone lines hadn't been brought down. At least that way they could tell Pilika's parents what had happened, but now they had to go out and find HoroHoro before he was moved further out of their grasp.

She had no idea that those two had been through such a tough time together, and that worried her. **_'What else are they hiding?' _**she wondered as she moved towards the door.

"Manta. Watch her for me." She asked without giving an option. Manta nodded and decided to bury his nose in a book. Faust followed Anna to find out what the plan of action was.

* * *

A sudden chill woke HoroHoro from his slumber. He woke up gasping as ice cold water dripped down his back and chest.

"Good, you're awake." A voice said from deep within the shadows.

"You again." He sneered wishing for solitude but knowing it would never come. As his body woke up he began to feel the effects of sleeping in that position. His body was stiff and lethargic, his thigh was in agony but he showed no reaction, he showed no weakness.

"Me again." The burly guy confirmed. "Now that little stunt you pulled back there is not acceptable, and my patience is wearing thin." He moved closer to HoroHoro and grabbed his chin, forcing him to face the burly man. "It will not be tolerated again, and to make sure of that, we have to set an example to the rest of you filthy scum."

With that, he pulled out his whip and snapped his fingers, signalling totwo of the five cronies he had in the other cell. They unlocked his chains and turned him around so that he was facing the damp wall. His shirt was then pulled off him, and he was secured in place again.

The first lash was a surprise and elicited a cry of pain from him. His hands reflexively gripped the chains as he suppressed the second cry, and the third, and fourth and fifth, and so on. It seemed to last forever but was only, in actual fact, 10 minutes, before it stopped.

His back was on fire. Every move he made set the sparks of pain flowing through his body. God he hated this place!

"Get him ready." The big man said from somewhere behind him. Hands grabbed him and turned him around, sending new waves of pain through him. His hands were released, unexpectedly, and he fell to the floor, still unwilling to voice his discomfort. His shirt was roughly pulled on to him and he was shoved in the direction of the door, shackles only on his wrists, but not on his feet allowing him to walk freely.

He was lead to a white room with a group of 8-10 other children silently waiting for someone or thing to happen. He was left with the children wondering what was about to happen until he remembered exactly what he was forced to do in this very room last time.

Train.

That meant that the Tournament would begin soon. He shivered involuntarily as he remembered the battle field and the fights that had ensued there.

It was then that the 'Master' chose to enter the room and scare all the children witless, all except for HoroHoro who wasn't afraid of him. He'd learned from this guy all he knew about martial arts but he had a sneaky advantage too. HoroHoro was shaman, 'Master' wasn't.

"I see our new recruit has decided to behave himself long enough to join us. I am told that you have endured my training before, so you will be familiar with the water bucket exercise." He stepped aside revealing a metal bar about 2 metres long with a 10L bucket chained to either end. "Would you care to demonstrate this to the others?" he prompted.

HoroHoro was pushed over to the bar with a shove from one of the guards that had accompanied the Master. Slowly he stood in front of the bar and placed his hands as far apart as the shackles would allow, which wasn't very far. the Master smiled waiting for the inevitable failure. ButHoroHoro also smiledknowing this was going to be easy.

He lifted the bar high up above his head, then smiled to himself as he watched the Masters face fall in disbelief. He began to swing the buckets around without spilling a drop, then decided he'd had enough fun.

He swung the bar and buckets at the four guards hitting every one of them before jumping up and grabbing the key from one of the guards, then hightailing it to the door. He didn't even get to the other side of the mat.

The Master tackled him to the floor, and jolted his back, marring his wounds open again, as he wrestled him until he could no longer move a muscle. Shackles were re applied as pain began re immersing, memories resurfacing, and tears began travelling down his cheeks once again as the pain became too much.

'**_Koloro!' _**he howled in his mind, '**_Help me! Koloro, I can't do this alone.'_** He whimpered again as more pressure was added to his already burning back and thigh. He could only tolerate so much, but this was too much. He squeezed his eyes shut, and called for Koloro, again, hoping she could hear him. '**_Koloro, no one must know of this place, but I can't do this alone, I need you, hurry.' _**He gasped as his arm was suddenly pulled back and a distinctive 'snapping' sound was heard. He could feel his grip on consciousness getting weaker and weaker, so he called out one last time, '**_Koloro, please help me...'

* * *

_**

Koloro was watching over Pilika as she slept on the armchair, wondering why her Shaman friend had not called out to her yet. The other spirits had nagged her about it asking her why HoroHoro would not call for help but she wasn't sure she was ready to answer them. There were only two reasons she could think of, upon why he wouldn't contact her; 1) he didn't want to be found, and 2) he wasn't alive to be found. She really wished it was the former and not the latter.

She floated over to the window and watched the falling snow outside when suddenly a mental message blasted through her thoughts;

'**_Koloro!' _**it was HoroHoro! '**_Help me! Koloro, I can't do this alone.'_** She felt an intense pain in her mind, as though his pain was being transmitted with his thoughts. '**_Koloro, no one must know of this place, but I can't do this alone, I need you, hurry.' _**She knew what he was asking and started tracking his energy signal immediately, focussing on him and him alone, trying to find him among the billions of people that inhabited the Planet. But the last message chilled her to her nonexistent bones.

'**_Koloro, please help me...'_** something in his voice thatshe'd never heard from him, paralysed her. He sounded so weak, so vulnerable, so unlike the happy, strong, HoroHoro she knew. She could tell that he was fading fast in that horrible place and not just physically; he was slowly losing his mind, his identity, his spirit. He was close to breaking and could do very little to stop it.

This made her even more determined to find him, but alas, she could not. He must've fallen unconscious other wise she would have found him by now, she'd know if he died because she'd feel his presence as a spirit but that could not be found either.

She'd have to wait until he woke up to find him again, but would it be too late?

* * *

A/N: What will happen next? Will HoroHoro lose his mind? Will Koloro find her beloved Shaman friend? Find out next time in 'Faith, Friendship and Hope' 


	6. Faith, Friendship and Hope

**It's only a matter of Time**

**I'm soooo sorry for not posting sooner! _Waits for flying paper balls to stop stampeding!_ Anyways, this next chapter is a little scary; the idea came to me while I was walking my dog, (Guinness. He's a Collie x Labrador, my dad named him, and no we're not an alcoholic family...honest!) My mind is very dangerous place right now! He He!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of Shaman King I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** This is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch 6- Faith, Friendship and Hope**

"**You asked to see me sir?"** the big guy asked. Sitting down in the chair opposite the Grande Director of the tournament and concentration camps.

"**Yes, I have had reports of an uncooperative child in camp 3, one that has escaped and eluded recapture before. I will not stand for this. Send him to me here, and I will talk to him myself, seeing as you cannot take care of him on your own."** he ordered subtly.

"**Yes sir, and May the great god watch over you."** The big guy said

"**He'll need to watch over you if you don't buck your ideas up! Now go!"** the Grande Director yelled losing his patience quickly.

The big guy quickly made his exit and summoned HoroHoro to the office immediately.

* * *

HoroHoro was dragged down several hallways and through several rooms until he was stopped outside a fancy looking door. He felt out of place in the suite with his tattered shirt and ripped shorts. The door opened and he was pushed inside. He tumbled to the floor, landing on his chest, hands still shackled behind him.

"**So you're the miscreant running rampage in my camp**" a voice said from the chair facing the great fireplace behind the lone desk in the office. He slowly stood and faced the back of the chair.

"**It's not a camp. It's a prison.**" He said bitterly, knowing he was in for it now. This was 'The Boss' of the joint.

"**It speaks.**" The voice said as the chair turned around to reveal a slim, rather tall, middle aged man in a dark suit with a silver streak through his hair that seemed to join a long scar leading down his face and under an eye patch on his left side. It then came out the other side and down his neck past his collar.

The man fixed him with his visible eye and stared deep into his own ice blue eyes, searching for something, sensing, sifting through his mind. HoroHoro felt him inside his head rummaging around but he stood still, paralysed, helpless to stop this invasion against his will. He felt violated and sickened at how this man just wandered into his head with no consideration for his privacy.

Finally it was over and HoroHoro fell to his knees in exhaustion.

"**You are Shaman. No wonder they could not break you. But have no fear, I will**." He said, "**What is your spirit? Your power? Your channelling weapon**" he asked, peering at the young boy on his floor.

"**What's the matter? Couldn't find it in my head?**" HoroHoro retorted rebelliously. He was pissed off now and he wasn't in the mood for this.

"**My second in command told me you had spunk kid, but I warn you now; I'd behave my self in your place or I'd regret it badly.**" He said mocking him as he stood again.

"**But you're not me; you're the one with the so called power here. What does it matter to you whether I behave myself or not?**" he asked keeping his head down.

"**I have an offer you may want to consider. If you are willing to listen that is.**" The man said circling the boy in an intimidating manner, like an eagle circling his prey in the air, waiting to strike at the first sign of movement.

"**Anything you have to offer isn't worth my time." **HoroHoro spat, breathing heavily.

"**Then I'm afraid I will have to force this on you, of coarse it would be much less painful if you embrace this as your destiny, but fools will be fools and we both know that all Ainus are the worst kind of fool out there."** The 'boss' said mockingly.

Enraged HoroHoro jumped up to attack the man before him but he was shot back down by a single thought that unmercifully forced its way onto his head.

'**_Pilika'_** He suddenly stopped mid attack and stared straight through the man in front of him.

The Grande Director acted immediately and placed his hands on the Ainu's temples rendering him useless. He was paralysed and in the directors grasp. He stared deep into the lone eye of the man who had him captive as watched as it began to glow a dark purple colour, and felt his own turn a deeper shade of blue. The director was in his mind now, going through his memories, picking at some of them then wiping them clean, destroying his mind, forcing amnesia on him.

And all he could do was watch helplessly as his past was taken from him and his future planned against his will. Images of Ren, Yoh, Ryu, Pilika, Faust, Tomao, and all his new found friends flashed before his eyes only to be wrenched from his mind, torn from his soul and erased from his memory bank.

Slowly, HoroHoro began to forget all that he was, is and should be, but could do nothing to stop it except embrace his new future as part of the Shamanic Army for the Phoenix Corporation.

Not even Koloro could help him now.

* * *

"Do we know where this Phoenix Corporation is?" Yoh asked the room. All heads shook negative. "Then we find it, Ryu I want you to go check the shack for clues, Faust, I want you to check the internet and maybe go check the library or local stores." Yoh waited for them to troop off be fore continuing.

"Do we know how powerful this corporation is?" he asked the remaining people, again negative response. "Then we prepare for war." He said indicating that they were going to train their little Anime butts off. Anna smiled in amusement at this knowing that she was going to be asked to train them all.

"Do we know how many there are of them?" he asked, the room was silent. "Then we assume there are many, we prepare a sneak attack and get a hold of the layouts. From those we can plan the rescue." Yoh finished, "any questions?" he asked. When none formed he dismissed them and went down stairs to begin training.

Oh yeah, Yoh was pissed now, and he was not losing another friend to a child labour camp. This was war!

* * *

Koloro felt her connection fading with HoroHoro but she didn't give up. She focussed on him and his location. The other ghosts became aware of the vast amounts of energy she was using up and were attracted to her location. When they realised what she was doing, they fed her the necessary energy to continue and complete the impossible task; locating her shaman friend when he wasn't calling to her.

The ghosts weren't the only ones who were attracted to the mass amounts of energy, Yoh, manta, Anna, and even Pilika wandered into the dining room and found the ghosts feeding Koloro energy. What she was doing was beyond them all but it seemed to be working whatever it was.

Suddenly a bright light shone from Koloro and a projected image of a large area of buildings glowed on the dining table. It was the Phoenix Corporation buildings!

"That must be where HoroHoro is being held!" Pilika yelled out, watching as the scenes changed.

Koloro was searching for her shaman friend. Each room zoomed up to 100 and she searched each and every one of them. Until she came across the dungeons. There were thousands of children being forced to work in mines, sewing rooms, weaving rooms, factory workhouses, kitchens and even bathrooms. Koloro couldn't locate HoroHoro in any of them, so she moved on, up through the floors until she found an office on the top floor. She delved into the room and found…

"HoroHoro!" Pilika shrieked out. He was surrounded by a purple aura that swirled around him and some other guy. Suddenly the man let go and HoroHoro slumped to the floor unconscious, completely drained of his energy and memories. Then the image flickered and was gone, only to be replaced by a map with possible routes to HoroHoro's location.

"Ok now we know that there are thousands of them and only five of us, and we know where they are, so now we need to figure out how to attack and get HoroHoro out of there" Yoh said, mentally absorbing the image before him.

"Manta, get a camera!" Anna ordered thinking fast, "Koloro, go back to the layout of the compound." She asked. Koloro focussed on the compound and projected it to the others. Manta came back with a camera and Anna set about taking pictures of the projection. "Ok now go back to the routes that we can take." She said.

By this time, Koloro was getting very tired but tried to fulfil Anna's wishes. She projected the map that showed where they were. Anna photographed it. Next she showed the next part of the journey, and Anna photographed that too but before she could project the last bit, she felt HoroHoro slipping further away from her. In a last minute of desperation, she disappeared and made her way to her shaman.

She wasn't going to lose him now. Not after all it took for her to find him again. No.

* * *

A/N well that's it for now, coz me Sister is booting me off the P/C and I wanted to get this chapter up before I go to bed tonight. Anyway tell me what you think…

Will Koloro get to HoroHoro in time? Will she be able to reverse what has happened? Will Anna and the others ever find the Phoenix Corporation with only ¾ of the map? Find out next time in '**_Reborn in to a Whole New Life'_**


	7. Reborn in to a Whole New Life

**It's only a matter of Time**

**Yay! ½ Term is here and that means more time to write Fan-Fic! Oh, I'm so excited! And I'm glad you all liked the last chapter, any ways here's another for ya. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of Shaman King I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** This is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch7 Reborn in to a Whole New Life**

Koloro flew as fast as she could to her shaman friend hoping she wasn't too late. Faster and faster she flew, closer and closer to her duty, her shaman, her friend. Suddenly a strange feeling overcome her small body, it was numbing yet painful, beautiful yet evil. She had no idea what was happening to her but flew on to her partner anyways.

On and on she flew, as the feeling grew inside her. She knew it couldn't mean anything good, someone had taught her that a little while back but she couldn't remember for the life of her, (A/N or death which ever way you look at it) who it had been.

She was speeding faster than the speed of light, 10x faster in fact, closing in on her shaman, closer, closer, closer…

There it is!

"Koloro!" she yelled and flew straight to the buildings only to fly straight into a spirit tablet. She was trapped.

* * *

"This one has more power than the others. And he knows even more powerful Shamans. I think it best if we keep this one closer than the others." The Grande Director mused.

"What makes you say that brother?" another well dressed slim man asked. He had dark hair that was greased into a slick Elvis style do. He wore dark sunglasses to hide his midnight eyes which seemed to glow an eerie purple whenever he was angered or upset. He sported an expensive golden watch and matching chain around his neck. You could tell this one loved his money.

"I saw into his mind, he has a lot of power and skill, he is an Ice Shaman." The Grande Director said as though it were simple.

"I still do not understand." His brother asked. Sitting down on a plush bench and admiring his image in the mirror opposite him.

"He is an elemental shaman; he can harness the power of ice and use it to defend himself and bring his opponents down, he is one of the most powerful shamans that can exist." He sighed at his brothers confuse look, "The elements are the strongest force on earth and he has access to one; ice. Our god has always taught us never to mess with the elements as they are unstable forces and unpredictable, it is for this matter, that we will keep the boy close." The Grande director explained

"That sounds dangerous Ethan." The other man said patronisingly.

"Well everything sounds dangerous to you, you impotent fool. Don't you see?" Ethan yelled, "He will be on our side! We will have the power of ice in under our command!"

The brother looked sceptical at his older sibling. "And how close do you think we should keep him?" he asked.

"He will be my son." Ethan said simply facing the large window, his decision made.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." The brother said warningly. His sibling was playing with ice here. (A/N yeah I know it's supposed to be fire, but ice sounded good here.)

"I don't pay you to think Robert! I pay you to do your job, now go and do it!" Ethan yelled, his anger rising as his brother just smiled that cocky, all knowing smile of his and gracefully walked out into the outer office where the ice shaman lay sleeping on the couch in fresh clothes, oblivious to the conversation going on in the other room.

* * *

HoroHoro slowly woke up with a pounding headache.

"My dear son, are you ok?" a strange voice asked as he opened his eyes. Bright lights hit his retina and crashed into the back of his eye, stinging his eyes as he snapped them shut again.

"Ah!" he cried and tried to turn away from the harsh lighting that caused his pain but strong hands held him still.

"Turn the lights down you fool!" the strange voice hissed, "Son? Are you ok? Do you feel any pain? A headache? Numbness?" the voice asked frantically.

"Head hurts." HoroHoro whispered hoarsely, attempting to open his eyes again. This time it wasn't so bright. But now he couldn't focus on anything, everything was just a blur. He gave a low groan and tried to turn again but still those hands held firmly instead he just curled up in a small ball, and squeezed his eyes shut.

"No son, come on wake up, the good doc wants to take a look at that bump on your head." The strange voice said. HoroHoro opened his eyes again to find an elderly man wielding a black bag with a stethoscope (A/N them things doctors always have around their necks in the hospitals.) poking out. Then another man blocked his view, this one was tall and had dark hair with a scar going all the way down the left side of his face.

"Who are you?" he asked the stranger before him. The look on the man's face told him he'd probably just hurt his feelings really badly.

"He doesn't remember me." the man said shocked, "Doctor, what did they do to my son?" the man was getting hysterical. He grabbed HoroHoro's shirt and started yelling at him, "God Trey what did they do to you? It's me your father! Trey you've got to fight this!" the doctor quickly intervened and pulled the man off him giving HoroHoro the space and quiet his pounding head needed as they dragged the man out of his office.

The doctor kneeled down in front of HoroHoro and gave him a sympathetic look. This was really disorientating for HoroHoro who had no idea what was going on.

"Ok young man, can you tell me your name?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"Of coarse it's…" HoroHoro paused, '**_What is my name?'_** he thought to himself. "It's…" '**_Shit, why can't I remember my name?'_** he started panicking, "It's…"

"Sh. Calm down." The doctor cooed, "you had a nasty bump there young man, fear not, your father will avenge your kidnapping."

"My kidnapping?" HoroHoro asked utterly befuddled.

"Do you not remember anything?" the doctor asked pleadingly. HoroHoro took a moment to think about the last couple of days.

"No, it's like I never existed until now." He replied feeling the panic rise again.

"Well it's possible you have amnesia then. Let me fill you in on a few things; your name is Trey, short for Atreyu, and ancient Greek hero who roamed for miles to find a magical book and found it." The doctor said lying through his teeth but HoroHoro was buying it, "You live with your father Ethan, who owns an orphanage for criminal children." He continued, "You are also a powerful Shaman, you control Ice and your main spirit is Koloro; a small but powerful spirit. She is waiting for you in your room." He said but HoroHoro interrupted before he could continue.

"Oh," HoroHoro said as though he knew but really had no clue, "was that man my father?" he asked changing the subject.

"Yes, and he loves you so very much, he was very worried when you were taken Trey, he was going crazy with worry. Then we found you and he was so happy, but when he found out that you'd been injured, he was horrified. And that made me worry." The doctor said, "See, he lost your mother in an accident in the plant, and he almost lost you too, his heart couldn't take that kind of shock again." The doctor said, "He loves you very much, and before you were taken, you loved him too."

"What happened to my mother?" HoroHoro asked, so intent on listening to the doctor that he didn't hear his 'father' walk back in the room. Some one else had obviously calmed him down.

"There was a huge chemical explosion" he said quietly, HoroHoro looked up to the sad eyes of the man who claimed to be his father as said father walked over to him, hesitatingly, "And your mother died protecting you but your hair was soaked with chemicals thus turning your hair blue and leaving some black." He said moving a stray strand of blue hair out of HoroHoro's eyes. HoroHoro made no movement. "You look so much like your mother." He said looking at him with a fatherly smile, "you know she was a Shaman too." He said, as the doctor left the office.

"What is a Shaman?" HoroHoro asked, confused. His father paused looking for the right words.

"A Shaman…is a being who can see and talk to spirits of the dead." He said sitting down on the floor in front of the chair HoroHoro was sat in.

"Then I can see mom?" HoroHoro asked,

"I don't know. You see I'm not a shaman, I'm more of a psychic; a being that can make things float in the air, and make things disappear." Ethan said vanishing before HoroHoro's very eyes. "But you…" He said reappearing, "…are a very powerful Shaman. And when a Shaman acquires a main spirit, he can use that spirit's power I.e. telepathy, martial arts, ice, fire, or whatever to their will." He said patting HoroHoro's knee.

"I can do all that?" HoroHoro asked as he slowly began to like the new life ahead of him.

"Yes and so much more. And when you remember who you are, you will know that what I say is true." Ethan said, "Now you had better get some rest, or you'll never regain your strength." He said leaning over HoroHoro as he lay down on the sofa.

"What happened? When I was kidnapped I mean. How was I taken?" HoroHoro asked sleepily, "Who took me?"

"I'll tell you later, just rest now, and know that you are safe, and home." Ethan replied smiling, happy that he'd finally got his son back- or so HoroHoro thought. Ethan watched as his new son closed his eyes and fell asleep.

When he was sure that HoroHoro was sleeping, he delved back into the boys mind and began arranging a few artificial memories. A scene of a fire here, a little fatherly son over there, and a few friends from the Shaman Army perhaps.

When Ethan had finished he stood and moved to the huge fireplace, grinning to himself.

"Sir!" a loud voice yelled as a huge burly man rushed into the office. Ethan turned on his heel and glared at the intruder.

"Do you know how to be silent?" he hissed, glancing over at the boy on his sofa. HoroHoro stirred slightly before falling back into a peaceful slumber. Ethan turned back to the bumbling buffoon. "What!" he hissed this time out of anger more than for HoroHoro's sake.

"The spirit is ready. She knows nothing of her past. She only wants to be with the boy." The fool said quietly.

"Excellent. Bring her here but warn her that the boy is sleeping and is very tired. She is not to wake him." Ethan ordered quietly.

"Yes sir." The man said before walking out to fetch the Koroppuku. Ethan smiled at this and watched the boy's chest rise and fall.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

"Bason, any sign?" Ren asked his spirit friend as he reappeared.

"None Master. The little spirit has vanished." Bason reported. Ren swore then paced the room.

"YOH!" he yelled. Marching out to where Yoh was training. (A/N YES, YOH, TRAINING! Anything is possible in Fan-Fic!) "We need to move now! If that Baka Koroppuku shows up then they'll know we're on our way!" Ren said as he continued to march toward Yoh. "They'll move him and then we'll never find him!" he vented stopping in front of a sweaty Yoh who'd just finished lifting 150lb weights.

"I know Ren but if we just waltz in unprepared we'll never beat them and then we'll become the imprisoned too." Yoh said stretching out his aching arms.

"If we don't do something soon, I'm gonna…I'm gonna…" Ren tried to vent but couldn't. He knew what he'd do; he'd go mad and if he didn't keep his emotions in check, he'd end up running off trying to save HoroHoro himself. **_'Since when did that Baka Ainu become so important in my life?'_** he thought to himself whilst trying to control his anger.

"Strange isn't it?" Yoh said standing next to Ren, watching the snow fall outside the window. "How he manages to worm his way inside you and touch that special piece of your heart, and you don't even realise until he's gone taking that tiny piece of you with him."

"Yeah." Was all that Ren could say. What more could he say? Yoh was totally right.

"You're not the only one who's missing him Ren. Look around," Yoh said, sighing his all knowing sigh.

"If we don't move soon, we'll lose him." Ren sighed, watching as the ice droplets fell gracefully from the sky and on the window ledge. **_'HoroHoro would be out there dancing around if he wasn't in that building.' _**He thought to himself.

"We leave at dawn, so get some rest. It's a long journey and we only have ¾ of a map." Yoh said leaving to go to his respective bedroom. "We'll get him back Ren, he's too stubborn to stay away for too long."

"Yeah you're right about that." Ren said, laughing a little.

"Goodnight Ren." Yoh yawned as he walked up the stairs, leaving Ren alone.

Images of HoroHoro flitted past his eyes as the thought of his bed came to him. Images of him in pain, collapsing as he did in the projection, crying out for help and having no one come to rescue him from the living hell he was in. **_'Damnit! How can Yoh think of sleep when HoroHoro needs us!'_** he thought angrily, turning on his heel to storm out of the room but stopped as Anna blocked his path.

"You know, if I were the one who'd been kidnapped and beaten savagely, I wouldn't want my friends to suffer the same fate. I'd wish that they'd just forget me, and leave me there but knowing my friends would come for me anyways, I'd be left with no choice but to wish that they'd come prepared and rested." She said keying into his thoughts directly. "Wouldn't you?" she asked and left it at that before turning in herself.

'**_Am I that open?'_** he asked himself as he followed suit knowing he'd have nightmares that night. '**_Hang on HoroHoro, we're coming…slowly.'

* * *

_**

A/N will HoroHoro fall for it? Will Koloro remember who she is? Will the forgetting ever end? Find next time in; '**A Hidden Darkness.' **


	8. A Hidden Darkness

**It's only a matter of Time**

**Ok, sorry for the wait but I've had a tonne of homework to finish. Oh and I wasn't sure about what Koloro really was and I was reading other fan-fic and they described her as a Koroppuku so thank you to Nekoian for putting me right. But like I said in the warnings, I'm new at this so excuse the errors and I am not Japanese or Chinese nor do I know the language of either so I am only guessing what words may mean, such as Baka: Idiot and Konichiwa: Goodbye, but I'm doing the best I can here with so little info to work with. Still, u gotta admit, it's a cool story…Any ways….on with the fic!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of Shaman King I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** This is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch 8 A Hidden Darkness **

Koloro fought against her restraints holding her prisoner. But alas, she could not free herself. Instead she resigned her self to watching what was going on. Then she saw him, HoroHoro, lying on the sofa, unconscious. Her thoughts raced through her mind and she began struggling with new strength, hoping to get to her friend, but something stopped her in her tracks.

"Quiet down Minushion, he won't remember you even if you did break free," the voice said harshly. But Koloro struggled even more. She fought with all her strength; slowly she began to break free.

* * *

"This is going so well, we're feeding him all this bullshit and he's falling for it hook, line and sinker!" Ethan said jumping up and down in his office. "Who'd have thought this would turn out to be my lucky day?"

"Calm down Ethan or you'll wake him up." Robert said watching the boy like a hawk; he really didn't like the idea of this kid becoming part of the family, even if he didn't remember his own name. There was just this feeling of 'inevitable doom' waiting at the end of all this and he feared for his older brother's safety.

"Oh Tish Tosh Brother, you worry about the slightest kink in your hair. Don't worry; he'll be out like a light until I decide he wakes up." Ethan said boastfully.

"I still don't like it. What would father think? Having an Ainu in the family is against every thing this family stands for…this whole factory stands for! It's not right!" Robert replied feeling a little guilty for his father.

"Father was a fool. He didn't think of the pain and torture that the Ainus would be put under if their own began to attack them, and we have a powerful tool in our grasp. He will help us to rid the world of Ainu scum." Ethan almost wailed in excitement. "Finally my time come to show the world what Ethan Günter can do!" he yelled out striking a pose.

Just then HoroHoro chose to wake up screaming, hehurt all over.

"Now look! You've woken him up!" Robert said, forgetting that he had to be careful around HoroHoro.

"Shut up!" Ethan said over his shoulder, as he quickly moved over to HoroHoro. "Trey, are you ok? What happened?" he asked in a concerned fatherly voice. HoroHoro clung to him heaving deep sobs of sadness,joy and pain. Ethan held him smiling a deep evil smile as he comforted the crying Ainu.

"It was horrible, I remember them! They locked me in a dark room, and left me alone for days." He sobbed into Ethan's shirt.

"Sh, its ok, you're safe now, you're home." Ethan said, cooing him back to sleep with the help of his psychic abilities. Once HoroHoro was sleeping Ethan laid him down back on the sofa and continued to talk to his brother.

"I told you you'd wake him up." Robert said, smiling his all-knowing smile again. Ethan was really beginning to get annoyed with that perky smile.

"He shouldn't have. I had him in a psychic sleep, you know, I was keeping him asleep with my mind and he broke through it. He broke through my power." Ethan said pacing the office.

"I told you this was a bad idea." Robert said, grinning that annoying grin again. Ethan growled at his brother to warn him into shutting up but ofcourse brothers will be brothers. "I mean it wasn't enough to put him under a spell but you had to put him in to the family too." He continued, enraging Ethan even more, to the point where he was considering killing his brother then and there. "Father would be against this from the beginning, he wanted to kill all the Ainu kids not put them in a factory," Robert continued. Ethan began to fume at the ears, he was sick of hearing about what father would do, sick of his brothers over annoying grin, and speeches of father as though he was god himself. No More! "You are in way over your he…" He didn't get to finish because Ethan in a fit of rage had plunged a display sword deep into his gut. Robert eyes were wide with sudden pain.

"It wasn't enough that you got to be the cutest son, but you had to go and be the richest and most knowing son too, well no more." Ethan said pushing the sword deeper into Robert's gut, "oh and say hi to dear old dad for me please." He added before twisting the sword and wrenching it out of his brother's torso. Killing him on the spot.

There was a stifled gasp from the sofa. Ethan looked up to find HoroHoro sat watching the whole thing.

"Dad?" he managed, but failed in saying much more than that as he waited for Ethan to reply, to say it was all an accident, to say he was forced to do it. "Tell me it was an accident." He demanded, tears welling up in his eyes.

The truth was Ethan couldn't tell him it was accident. In his mind he saw his real son who died in that explosion sitting where HoroHoro was sat, asking him the same question. He faltered which gave HoroHoro all the answers he needed. He was out of that place!

"Trey!" Ethan yelled after him, as he gave chase.

* * *

Ren shot up in his bed, waking from yet another nightmare. He'd already woken up 3 times that night with images of HoroHoro's torture. He was so worried about him but he couldn't do anything to help him right now. He felt so frustrated, so useless.

Suddenly Koloro flew in through the window, glass an' all.

"Koloro!" she yelped as she recovered from her panic in Ren's arms. Ren had never held the Minushion before and found it to be quite comfortable,

"Sh, you're safe now." He cooed her to a calm state, as he summoned Bason to translate her one word language. "Bason translate what she says." He ordered as he turned to Koloro. "Now where is HoroHoro?" he asked the small spirit, trying to be quiet so that the others could rest for tomorrow.

"Koloro, kol, kol loro, loro Koloro!" she began. Ren turned to Bason who translated for him.

"She says that HoroHoro is under a spell. He doesn't know who he is, and he thinks the 'bad guy' is his father." Bason reported.

"Koloro!" the Minushion squealed as she sensed HoroHoro's sudden alarm and fear and almost disappeared to be with him, but stopped as she realised she was too far and he was also scared and frightened, there was no telling what he would do.

"I feel him too." Bason admitted. Ren turned an asking look in Bason's direction; he took up the hint and explained. "Master HoroHoro has fled for his life Master Ren, he fears the man who claims to be his father. He is outside, heading the wrong way." Bason replied.

"I've got to get to him!" Ren said through gritted teeth. He sat on his futon for several minutes before coming to a decision. He stood and changed into his battle gear, then grabbed his Kwon doe.

He was going after HoroHoro now. There was no way he could wait any longer. HoroHoro was out there, alone, with the enemy a few steps behind him and he didn't even know his own name. There was no way Ren was going to sit there and leave him like that.

He quickly scribbled a note and left it on the kitchen counter before quietly slipping out of the Ainu house and into the black oblivion outside.

* * *

HoroHoro didn't know what was going on but he somehow knew that the man in that building was not his father. And where was his spirit? Koloro was it? He couldn't remember, but for that matter he couldn't remember anything of his past, it was like his slate had been wiped clean of anything up to this point.

He rounded a corner and came face to face with a large smelly man, who had a permanent snarl glued to his face. He quickly backed up and ran the other way, now with both his 'father' and the smelly man on his heels.

He ran through hundreds of corridors which all looked the same, but different. Maybe a picture or two in one and a vase or ornate statue in another. Soon he came to some stairs, and ran down them as fast as his injured body could run, which was surprisingly fast considering the beating his body had taken before his memories were wiped, not that he'd remember ofcourse, he probably figured that the boys who kidnapped him did this to him.

Down he ran, straight to the bottom of the building, stopping for no one. Adrenalin pumped through his body giving him the necessary speed he needed to flee this place.

Now because this building was used for the employees and staff of the compound, security was scarce and that made it all the more easier for HoroHoro to escape the building into the snow covered fenced off area. Now the problem was getting over the fence and away from this place. But how?

Before he even knew what he was doing, a pillar of ice shot from his hand as he raised it high over the fence. He quickly climbed over and ran for the hills…literally!

* * *

"Ren! Time to get up. You gotta go help HoroHoro." Pilika yelled into Ren's room. Silence met her bad temper.

"Ren, you promised to bring him back!" she called again but still no reply followed her attempt at rousing the Chinese shaman. She sighed and limped into his room only to find it empty. "Ren?" she called, checking to see if he was hidden somewhere but he just wasn't in the room.

Slowly she hopped down stairs hoping to find him there but he wasn't. The others were getting dressed and preparing for battle still but because she wasn't going, and neither was Anna for some reason, she was the only one downstairs. That was when she spotted the piece of paper, and squiggly graffiti on it. She picked it up and began to read;

"Dear all,

I'm sorry for being impatient but I couldn't wait this long. It's a wonder how I stayed sane waiting this long anyways. Koloro came back last night and gave me some vital information that I think you should know.

HoroHoro has been brainwashed. He doesn't remember who he is, and he thinks we are the enemy, but he still thinks Koloro can be trusted, so I am taking Koloro with me so I can find him and bring him back home safe.

Koloro and Bason sensed his escape from the Phoenix Corporation, and have told me that he is out there, in the snow, with no clue as to whom he is, or where he's going, with the enemy right on is tail. I have to go now or he'll die out there.

Don't worry, I'll bring him back, alive and in one piece.

Yours sincerely

Tao Ren."

"Oh my." Pilika gasped as tears welled in her eyes, "Oniichan won't remember me, or anyone." Slowly she sank to her knees in despair.

It was at that moment that Yoh and the other decided to walk in to the kitchen. It was Ryu who spotted Pilika first.

"Pilika my dear are you alright?" he asked genuinely concerned, as he knelt to her level. Yoh and the others followed suit.

"Ren's gone. He left this." She sniffed, handing them the note. After a few minutes of scanning the page, Yoh stood and clenched his fists.

"Come on, we've got an Ainu AND a Chinese to save now." He said as he stormed off to prepare for war.

* * *

A/N; just so you know I will not be continuing this story if I don't get more than 3 reviews this chapter. I feel that I am only writing for my own pleasure, but I want to know how many people are reading this fic and whether they want me to continue because the lack of support is driving me closer and closer to writers block, so please RR. 


	9. Shock After Shock

**It's only a matter of Time**

**Ok, due to popular demand, this fic is back in business!_ Waits for fans to stop jumping for joy. _And I got another chappi for ya! Any questions about this fic can be emailed straight to me and I'll do my best to reply. Before I start, though; I'd like to say a big huge thank you to my reviewers! **

**!THANK YOU!**

**And a special Thanks to those who reviewed Ch 8;**

**Missy K: **I am very grateful to your faithful reading and hope that you continue to enjoy this fic. I really like writing it but with the lack of reviews and feedback I thought that no one was reading it and I was just taking up valuable space in the FF database…sorry if I scared ya!

**Nekoian: **Don't worry about the Minushions or whatever they are, some people use it in their fics and others don't, I'll be different and use both so it's no biggie! Any ways thanks for the heads up and for reviewing!

**Silver Mirror**: In a way yeah. See it's supposed to symbolise his freedom of years of guilt for killing those children when he was taken prisoner last time, it's like he can finally leave the weight behind him! Glad someone picked that up!

**Kiki**: Thanks and don't worry, I will!

**Any ways…on with the Fic!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of Shaman King I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** This is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch 9 Shock after Shock**

HoroHoro ran through the snow but didn't seem to moving very fast. He knew the people behind him weren't very far off his trail but he just didn't seem to have the energy anymore. Slowly he came to a halt just inside a large pine tree forest and collapsed under a tree. Exhausted.

He ached all over and even in places he didn't want to mention or know about. He managed to move his arm into his sight then cast an inspective look at it. There were dark bruises all over but the angry deep bruises looked awful. God what had happened to him? Why couldn't he remember who he was? Slowly he became aware that his back was slowly becoming more painful by the minute, he moved so he wasn't in so much pain. But the rest of him felt numb, as though everything had frozen over.

He was just swooning into a conscious sleep when a shout woke him suddenly. Recognising the voice immediately, HoroHoro jumped up, forgetting about his injuries, ignoring the pain, and ran for his life, deeper into the forest, further away from the pursuing enemy, and far behind them; a pursuing friend.

* * *

Ren had been walking for hours, following a copy of the map Anna had photographed yesterday. He trudged through the snow stumbling every now and then on a hidden stone or fallen branch.

"Grr who put that there!" he yelled as he let his frustration take over. This was getting him nowhere. Not only did the snow plough decide not to work but he'd forgotten to pack his milk too. "Why did he have to go and get kidnapped anyway?" he grumbled to himself as he once again stood and made his way through the snow towards HoroHoro's last known location: the Phoenix Corporation…well outside it at any rate.

On he trudged, through snow and ice, closer to the buildings that had eluded him thus far. Suddenly he was aware of the brilliant sunlight glaring down from the clear blue sky above him, adding to his sour mood.

"How can the sky look so…sunny when it's so damned cold!" he half yelled as he pulled his clothing tighter around his frame, warding off the chill that attacked him. On he ploughed, aiming in the general direction of the Corporation, hoping he wasn't too late, or that he'd find HoroHoro's body lying on the floor with blood red snow around him.

"No!" he yelled, stopping in his tracks, denying HoroHoro's demise. "He is not dead!" he said storming onwards again, "yet!" he added as he quickened his pace, determined to make HoroHoro pay for the emotions he was forcing on Ren.

* * *

Yoh was stood with his team outside, going over the plan once more with the others.

"Remember, we are very few, and they have a lot of them so we have to have the element of surprise!" he said as Ryu, Faust, and Manta listened intently. Anna was staying behind because those men could come back for Pilika; she was to defend the female Ainu to the end.

Yoh had already explained to Manta why it was important that he come, because he was the only one who could hack into computer systems and the like. Ryu was there for combat support and Faust just knew how say the right things. Plus he could fight if it came down to it. Yoh needed no explanation for going he was fulfilling a promise he'd vowed to a friend. And he was gonna do it even if it killed him.

Soon they were following Ren's earlier tracks on their way to the Phoenix Corporation, hoping they weren't too late like Ren had feared they were.

Pilika watched as the boys disappeared over the horizon, all geared up and ready for battle. She knew they bring him home but deep down inside she dreaded that moment. The moment when she'd look into HoroHoro's eyes and find no recognition of her, no love for her; no emotion but confusion and fear. An empty shell of what he used to be.

She began to mourn her brothers death, because to her; he might as well be.

* * *

HoroHoro ran as fast as he could run, his legs buckling sometimes as he went. He didn't aim for any particular direction, he just ran, away from those people, away from his 'Father', away from that building, away from all the hurt that was welling up inside his heart and soul.

He found his way to the brink of a vast open area that could have been passed off as a large lake. Little did he know; that this was a large lake covered in a thin layer of ice due to the warm weather fronts that had helped cause the recent storms.

He heard a shout from the enemy, it sounded close…too close. Taking his chances, he ran out on to the ice, slipping here, tripping there. He was going to make it! Faster he ran, pounding his tired feet faster across the thinning ice plate, closer…closer…crack! He suddenly plunged into the freezing water shocking his body into an instant shivering spasm attack, jolting fresh agony through his body. He was dimly aware that he was under water now, unconsciously holding his breath in the numbing liquid. He heard muted shouts above him. Looking up he could see the outlines of people on the ice looking for him, then he heard a distinct, "he's gone under!"

The next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor with a warm blanket wrapped around him. Voices hovered just outside his conscious understanding, fading in and out of his thoughts. Slowly he opened his eyes and distantly wondered how many times he'd been knocked out in the last few days.

"He's waking up! Somebody, get the Director!" an unfamiliar voice said. It sounded young and genuinely concerned. When he was able to focus, HoroHoro saw a young boy, no older than he was, looking straight back at him, smiling a relieved smile.

"Welcome back," he said, "you gave us quite a scare." He spoke as though they were old friends, but HoroHoro had never seen this kid in all his life; at least he thought he didn't.

"Sorry, who are you?" he croaked, confused.

"I am Derrick, head of the Shamanic Army for the Phoenix Corporation." He said. At the words Phoenix Corporation, HoroHoro panicked.

"What!" he yelled "You're with them?" he shrieked standing up stripping off the blanket. The boy was startled and at a loss of what to do.

"Trey!"

_**'That voice! That name! No!'**_ HoroHoro turned to see Ethan running over to him. Instinct kicked in and HoroHoro ran in the opposite direction.

"Trey! Stop!" Ethan called out, trying to reason with the hysterical boy. HoroHoro ran straight past the surprisedguards and deep into the surrounding forest that the enemy had made camp in. Ethan ran after HoroHoro, easily keeping him in sight, a few soldiers from the Shaman Army followed him, thinking that the less intimidating they were, the more chance of him trusting them. Derrick was among them, sweeping the direction HoroHoro had run in.

* * *

Ren had come to his wits end. He had also come to the end of the mapped routes. Which was why he was so frustrated too.

"I cannot believe this!" he yelled into the darkening clouds. "Come on HoroHoro! Give me a sign! A pointer! Help me!" he called out, listening to his echo in the trees that surrounded him.

Suddenly Koloro called out in her annoying way. Ren turned to Bason for an interpretation;

"She says that the Phoenix Corporation is that way," Bason said pointing to Ren's left.

"Right then lets go." Ren said but was stopped by Koloro who squeaked at him urgently. Again Ren turned to Bason for Answers.

"She says 'but HoroHoro is this way.' I can feel him and he is weakening as we speak." Bason said hovering faithfully by Ren's shoulder.

"Then let's go this way!" Ren sighed in annoyance and once again wondered why Koloro hadn't already rushed off to her shaman. He began walking in the direction Koloro had pointed out.

He wandered for a few hours before hearing a slight rustle in the distance, _'**a squirrel? Bird?'**_ he thought then kicked himself for being stupid; there were no birds or squirrels that could survive this weather! He decided to check it out.

* * *

Slowly, they closed in on him, cornering him as they tried to talk some sense into him. HoroHoro backed away, to the edge of a very large canyon, or snow cliff.

"Trey, listen to me, I don't want you to fall off that edge so just come away please." Ethan whimpered as HoroHoro took another step towards the cliff's edge. "Don't make daddy's hair go grey yet." He said to try and lighten the mood but it didn't.

"You're not my father!" HoroHoro yelled almost losing his balance but regained it, albeit a little unsteadily.

"Trey. Please, no one wants to hurt you. We want to help." Ethan said as he took a step closer to him. HoroHoro seemed to relax a bit, slowly building his trust again, but he was still hesitant in giving his trust to this man.

Ethan decided to use his psychic abilities to aid him in bringing HoroHoro home safely. He reached out with his mind and planted a false memory in HoroHoro's mind. But this had a horrifying effect. HoroHoro suddenly tensed as Ethan entered his mind, sending him toppling over the edge.

"No!" a voice yelled out as a figure jumped out of the trees and leaped over to the edge, grabbing HoroHoro's hand just as he was falling down to his doom. HoroHoro grasped this hand not caring who it was who'd caught him. He squeezed his eyes shut hoping and praying he'd get out of this alive.

* * *

A/N: Sorry but I'm gonna have to leave this on a cliff hanger, literally! My sister is booting me off the computer so she can do her homework. Yeah I know she's a spoilt sport. Any ways keep them reviews coming if ya wanna know what happens next! he he 


	10. True or False?

**It is only a matter of time **

**Ok here's the much awaited for Chapter 10! CH 10! OMG! I never actually expected to go beyond 6 chapters with this story but wow! 10! And there's still more action to dish out! _Beams proudly!_ Well, I'm glad you all still love this fic! And here's the 10th chappi for ya...10…wow…I still can't get over it! **

**Note - Jamie and Ryan - There's a Russian Knife in here! Lol.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** This is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-10, True or False?**

Ren clutched HoroHoro's wrist with a vice like grip, willing him to become lighter, but feeling him slipping out of his hands.

"HoroHoro!" he called down, hoping to get him climbing up but he didn't respond to his name. "HoroHoro, climb up. I can't pull you up, you have to climb up!" he yelled through gritted teeth. Suddenly a body was next to him, grappling at HoroHoro's wrists to try and pull him back to safety. HoroHoro chose that moment to look up into the eyes of a stranger and his father, trying to pull him up.

Ren could see the distrust in his eyes, he didn't like this man and would rather die than be anywhere within a 20 mile radius of this guy. "Come on Horo, climb up!" he said encouraging him to try and move.

"That's it, Trey; climb up! We can't pull you up!" the stranger said. '**_Trey? What?_**' Ren thought to himself. But HoroHoro seemed to respond to that name, so Ren figured he'd use it too, just until he got his memories back.

HoroHoro began to climb up the cliff slipping a few times, but he finally made it back up to the safety of the cliff. He lay in Ren's arms, eyes closed, breathing heavily, not caring who this stranger was just so long as it wasn't Ethan. Ren noticed this and glared at the stranger.

"Thank you friend. For saving my son's life." He said standing from his sitting position he had fell in to.

"Friend? I think not! And your son, is also my best friend whom you kidnapped a few days ago." Ren said helping HoroHoro to stand noticing how difficult this seemed for him to do.

"I am?" he asked quietly, leaning in Ren heavily.

"I believe you are mistaken…" Ethan began but was cut short by Ren's Kwon Doe at his throat. The other shamans stood ready to battle but awaited their leaders signal.

"I believe I'm not. Now let us go." He said. Glaring daggers at the man

"Or what?" Ethan asked placing his trust in his shamanic army.

"Or you die" Ren said simply, feeling HoroHoro pale behind him.

"You can't kill me. My army will annihilate you." Ethan said frozen to the spot eyeing Ren as he tried to talk his way out of this dilemma.

"No they won't" Ren said very sure of his judgement. They were amateurs; they could not beat a pro like him. "Walk that way." Ren pointed using his Kwon Doe. Ethan unwillingly walked the intended direction. Telling the Shamanic army to stay put, at Ren's request. Once they had gone far enough, Ren tied Ethan to a tree, leaving him there to whinge and moan.

After Ren was sure they were far enough away he set HoroHoro down and finally took a good look at him. It was awful.

He had bruising all over his face, so much so Ren hardly recognised the Ainu boy. He also noticed his wet clothes and harsh breathing. He was feverish too which could bring a lot of problems on the journey back home. Also there was the question of HoroHoro's temporary memory loss. At least he hoped it was temporary. He also took into account that HoroHoro was not walking well either. So he guessed there was an injury on his legs somewhere, possibly his left leg.

Ren was shocked to no end. He'd never seen HoroHoro this bad and never wished to but here he was. Almost dead by the looks of it.

"Who are you?" HoroHoro croaked as he sat propped up against a tree, eyes closed.

"You tell me." Ren said, collecting some firewood, hoping to jog some memories.

"I don't know." HoroHoro said, sleepily. Ren looked round, watching as the Ainu attempted to stay awake.

"It's ok. Go to sleep. I'll keep watch." Ren said, showing his nicer, truer side before the amnesiac Shaman. "Koloro will wake you if anything goes wrong." He assured as HoroHoro nodded and fell asleep immediately.

Ren took this opportunity to inspect HoroHoro's injuries in more detail. He gently lay him down and pulled his trouser leg up to a nasty, open, infected wound that could only have been made by a knife. A Russian knife! He recognised the style, the slanted angle, the jagged flesh pattern. '**_So these people are Russian?'_** Ren began to get annoyed at these people, as he found more and more horrid wounds inflicted on his friends body. His protectiveness was growing as he tried to dress the wounds he could, thankful that he had remembered the first aid kit, but a small first aid kit wasn't going to help HoroHoro in the long run.

"Koloro!" Ren called out, feeling her float to his side from HoroHoro's side. "Which way's home?" he asked, expecting her to point the way out for him. But she didn't.

"Koloro! Koloro kol, kol Koloro!" she chirped. Ren didn't even bother turning to Bason, he interpreted immediately.

"She doesn't know." He said in a monotonous voice.

"What! Why? She knew her way here!" Ren yelled through the forest.

"Master… she doesn't know, you walked off in a different direction to the one we took to get here." Bason explained, floating into the background again. Ren's stomach had just digested itself. He was stuck out here, in the freezing cold, with an injured friend who doesn't even know his own name, with no way of getting home and they were being pursued by the enemy. Oh yeah…he was screwed.

* * *

"Um…which way now?" Ryu asked as he, Manta, Faust and Yoh, leading, came to a halt in the same place Ren had when he asked Koloro for directions. No one answered.

"Well logic would dictate to go straight on, Koloro isn't stupid like her shaman friend, so she'd pick the quickest, fastest, most straightforward route there is." Manta said from somewhere in the snow, below Ryu.

"I knew there was a reason for bringing you Manta!" Yoh exclaimed as he pressed on, towards the Phoenix Corporation. The others trailing behind him, all wrapped up in their battle gear and Thermos.

* * *

**A/N:** Ok that's it for now, sorry it's short but I promise I will update as soon as I can but that may be a while as I am now revising for my A Level exams! Yikes! Lol, I'll try and dedicate a day of fanfic writing just for you guys tho, don't know when that'll be so you'll have to bear with me! Next chappi is '**Avalanche!**' 


	11. Avalanche!

**It is only a matter of time **

**Hello again! Right well I have just found out that I have failed all my A level exams…yep all of em! So yeah I'm pissed off…anyways… because I'm pissed off, prepare for some interesting twists.**

**Enjoy….**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb:** What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning:** This is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-11, Avalanche**

Oh yeah, Ren was peeved. He was stuck out in the middle of a frozen pine forest with an injured amnesiac friend and no way of getting home.

'_**Maybe I should've bought that cell phone rather than the blade polish'**_he thought randomly as he watched HoroHoro sleep uneasily whilst trying to think of a way out of this mess.

HoroHoro grumbled something which sounded like 'stop' or 'drop' but he continued to mumble. Curious, Ren got up and came in closer to hear what he was saying…it could be helpful.

At first it was just groaning but then he heard one audible word which shocked him into paralysis.

"Ren..."

* * *

They were stood outside the corporation building now, each peering over a heap of snow watching the building. No signs of life were found.

"Remember the plan." Yoh said as he glanced over to the building again. "Ready?" he asked as he positioned himself to move. A murmur of whispered 'yeses' danced on the wind to his ears as he prepared for battle,

"Go" he whispered.

* * *

'**_He remembers me!_' **Ren was in shock. Somewhere in his dreams HoroHoro still remembered who he was, and that made Ren happy. There was hope yet.

"AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH" a thrilling shout resounded through the icy mountains surrounding the area. Ren was immediately alert and on his feet. He glanced back at HoroHoro who was still sleeping.

But then a low rumbling sound caught his attention. He froze. '**_Shit!'_** slowly he turned behind him; his suspicions were confirmed.

"Avalanche!" he yelled waking HoroHoro up and grabbing his belongings, the blanket and rucksack. HoroHoro stood, a little light headed and wobbly but he stood all the same. Ren grabbed his hand and pulled him in the opposite direction of the incoming avalanche.

Time was running out, the snow was faster than they're legs and already HoroHoro was weakening and slowing down.

Ren was panicking now; he had no answers, no solutions this time! '**_Please don't let me die! I've only just found my heart; don't let me die without using it!'_** Ren pleaded to every god he knew of. Suddenly something caught his eye; caves! He dashed toward the closest one throwing HoroHoro in, before diving in himself.

The snow thundered past, a little followed them into the cave but they were sheltered here. Ren searched in his sack for a flashlight, wanting to make sure HoroHoro was ok. He found it and switched it on revealing a rather small cave that extended for miles downward. He shone the light on HoroHoro still form beside him; he was asleep again. Or at least Ren thought he was; that is until he saw the trickle of blood coming from a gaping wound on the side of his head.

"Oh no!" he groaned quickly searching for more bandage, "HoroHoro!" he called trying to rouse his friend. "HoroHoro come on wake up." He found the bandage and quickly attempted to bind his new wound.

It took a while but HoroHoro finally woke up, screaming. Ren held him until the panic was over, rubbing his back in circles, soothing his friend with his company.

"Koloro? Where is she?" he asked in a rough voice before having a coughing fit. This worried Ren; HoroHoro was still feverish and was now coughing and shivering? This was not good; HoroHoro had all the symptoms of pneumonia, add to that the nasty head wound and he could have a concussion. Ren's heart went out to HoroHoro who was clearly not having a very good couple of days.

"I don't know." Ren said still rubbing HoroHoro's back more for his own comfort rather than HoroHoro's.

"I hope she's ok." He said croakily, falling asleep in Ren's arms again.

"She will be but you gotta stay awake for me, understand?" Ren asked but he received no answer. "Horo?"

* * *

"Did you have to scream so loud?" Faust asked Ryu as they were being marched down the corridors to the dungeons.

"Yes, it got their attention didn't it?" Ryu said holding his head up high as though he was proud of it.

"Well let's just hope Yoh and Manta get in ok." Faust said quietly so as not to be heard.

"Yes, let's hope because I was not meant for living in dungeons." Ryu said grumpily. Faust sighed and continued to be marched down the endless corridors.

"I hope they don't get lost." He mumbled.

* * *

Yoh snuck around the back and into a vent shaft while the few guards were catching Faust and Ryu. Manta was close behind. They slowly crept along until Yoh stopped and looked out through a wire mesh grid.

"I think I've found the control center that was on the map." He said as he made sure no one was in the room. There was one guard but he would be easy to take care of. Amidamaru would see to that.

When the guard was securely locked away, Yoh dropped down and over to the controls, scanning the screens for a missing blue haired Ainu. After a while, he hung hishead in defeat. HoroHoro wasn't in the building.

That wasn't stopping him from freeing the others though. He scanned the control pad but could recognise any thing.

"Manta can you find out how to free the children from here?" he asked as Manta began to plug in his laptop, downloading information and codes.

"Sure but this could take a while." He said settling down on the floor. Yoh sighed again and leaned back in the swivel chair he was sat on.

"Ok, wake me when you're done." He said resting his eyes for a minute.

* * *

Koloro looked around searching for her shaman but where ever she looked there was only blinding white snow covering the ground for miles, and still rumbling below her.

She and Bason had been separated from Ren and HoroHoro but were at least safer together.

She just hoped they were ok.

* * *

A/N; ok this was a twist and a half! But not as twisty as Tara being Ren's sister! Lol for those of you who do not know what I'm on about you may like to read my friends fic called '**_Cold Blooded'_**. It's a really good fic but the twist in chappi 9 is…well its…Sister? I still can't believe it! Anyways next chapter is "**HELP!**" 


	12. Help!

**It is only a matter of time **

**Hey peeps I'm back! Ok I'm sorry I left it so long but these A levels are really doing my head in! Ok some replies to some reviews!**

**Deragonmaji: **I'm Gad you're enjoying this fic!

**Nekoian: **it's ok so long as you read it and review I don't care! Lol, glad I haven't put you off the fic yet...

**Sevetenks the Ultimate F**there's some thing you should probably know! I have no plan for this fic its practically writing itself so I don't know if there are gonna be any battle scenes yet, I would assume there would be though, but I have only ever seen 1 eppi so everything maybe wrong if I try and do a strange fiasco like that.

**Anyways that's done, now on with the fic!  
**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb**: What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning**: this is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-12, Help!**

Faust and Ryu were marched through the dungeon cells, hoping against hope, that their friends would somehow free them. Suddenly they were stopped as another guard limped past, no doubt limping because of HoroHoro, with another child being hauled after him. Faust looked down at her and regarded her with interest '**_Where are they taking her?_**' he thought. She caught his watchful stare and stopped; she raised her hands to him, and spoke;

"Help me, please!" she cried in a broken voice before she was pulled away gruffly by the guard and was struck down by his beefy hand. Faust could not stand for this and began to revolt against it but he was harshly pulled away before he could do anything.

"This is wrong!" he said barely holding his temper as he and Ryu were placed in the same holding cell.

"Calm down my friend, fuming won't help these children," Ryu said sounding very calm and wise- a huge contrast to his usual self (A/N; excuse me if I get this wrong! I have only seen 1 eppi and I have this vague idea of how these two behave! .'')

"You are right, strange as it may seem," Faust said sitting. All they could do was wait now. '**_It's up to you Yoh, please don't fail us now.'

* * *

_**

Ren continued to call HoroHoro's name but the Ainu was out cold and there was nothing he could do to wake him up now. He held the boy closer and felt a certain 'protectiveness' wash over him. Like it or not, Ren knew he was falling for HoroHoro and the situation didn't help things.

As he reflected on his memories of HoroHoro, he found himself reliving all the times HoroHoro had caused trouble and found some disturbing results. Seeing the past events in a different point of view, Ren became aware of how wrong his impression of HoroHoro was. Every problem he thought HoroHoro had caused had actually not been his fault. Trouble just seemed to follow him and point the finger at him every time. This time was a little more serious, however; the Ainu had gotten himself into a right old pickle and he hadn't done anything wrong. All of a sudden the world seemed very unfair from Ren's point of view.

"Ren…" Ren's attention immediately rested on HoroHoro's sweaty, restless form in his arms, "help… me, …can't… do this… alone" Ren's eyes welled up with unshed tears, he held HoroHoro closer and whispered in the struggling boys ear, "sh I'm here, you're safe now." He rocked HoroHoro back and forth like a mother would a child to comfort and calm him.

"No…stop!" HoroHoro became even more restless, struggling against Ren's grip, trying to free himself from the grip of the monsters in his dreams. Suddenly the Ainu yelled out, screaming at the top of his lungs as his whole body shuddered. Ren held him tightly as the screams came again and again and again…

"What did they do to you?" he whispered in to the dark, blocked cave.

* * *

"Yoh, you might want to take a look at this." Manta said as he stared at one of the many television screens. Yoh woke and peered lazily at the screen in an uninterested manner before he finally realised what it was that the screen was showing him. All thoughts of sleep vanished as he leaned closer.

"My god!" he gasped as he watched the events play out before him.

"No wonder they never spoke of it." Manta mumbled as he watched the shocking battle rage on the battlefield.

A boy of Yoh's age, give or take a few years, was currently fighting a much larger boy who seemed about 3 or 4 years older. Both fought violently as the crowd either cheered or booed at them. But in the back ground Yoh saw what Pilika had explained to them before they set off. On one end of the field was a small boy locked in a wooden cage high above a pit of spikes and other nasty devices. On the other end was a small girl in the same situation, and all of a sudden Yoh saw a glimpse of what HoroHoro had been put through.

In his minds eye he could see HoroHoro being pushed into the arena, and forced to watch his sister being locked into the small wooden box. He was then forced to fight and kill for her safety.

A few tears spilled over his cheeks as Yoh watched the older boy crush the smaller boy and plunge his sword through the smaller boy's chest, killing him instantly. The camera then panned over to the smaller boy's sister in the cage and stayed there as the cage was dropped into the pit and the child was killed gruesomely.

Yoh tried to tear his eyes away from the horrid scene but found that he could not. Then he saw something that made his blood turn even colder. The girl was still alive.

* * *

Anna watched the younger girl as she dejectedly watched the fire crackle and burn in the fire place. Pilika had fallen into a depressed state where all she thought of was her terrifying time in the Phoenix camp. She hated herself for not being taken with her Oniichan, to suffer with him, to share the pain like they had before. But alas, she was stuck here with the most awkward company ever. Anna.

"Pilika…" Anna started in a soft voice. Pilika looked up expectantly as she paused, choosing the right words before continuing. "I...I'm sorry you had to go through that, and…I…" Pilika knew what the woman was trying to say.

"Don't be, it brought Oniichan and me closer together if anything." Pilika said as she returned her stare to the fire, immersing herself in her memories, the same memories HoroHoro shared, the very memories she promised to forget and leave in the past. Another moment of silence ensued before Anna broke it again.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, offering her shoulder for Pilika to cry on.

"No." the young Ainu replied quickly and determinedly. Another pause.

"Talking about it can help you know." Anna pressed expecting an outburst of 'what do you know?' or 'I don't care, it's none of your business' but instead Pilika bowed her head and began to cry into her hands. Anna was up and hugging the fragile child in a split seconds notice. She held the distraught female and prayed for Pilika's sake that HoroHoro was alright.

* * *

A/N sorry it's short again, I really am, but these A levels are killing me! I may just quit…….nah I can't be bothered to quit. Lol...ok Next chapter is aiming to be slightly longer and another character is hopefully being added….hopefully…next chapter is called "**back again"** bet you can't guess why…. 


	13. A New Era

**It is only a matter of time **

**OK I'm back! And I have a lovely long chapter for you but first a few replies to some recent reviews! **

**Missy K; **it wasn't going somewhere before now? **_Cries anime style_** Lol anyways thanks for the review…much adored!

**Sevetenks the Ultimate F**like I said before…I'M NEW AT THIS! Lol sorry random outburst there…yeah he probably is wise and all that but I have only ever seen one eppi of SK so I think I'm doing pretty well so far…ok not so well…alright! I'm crap ok? There I said it! Lol thanks for putting me right though, I'll try and keep him in character but excuse the ooc-ness if I don't get it quite right, I am a newbie! Much appreciated!**  
**

**Bonnie Mizuhara Asakura** hey! Glad you like it! Feh…I couldn't be bothered to write Anna bitchy so she's nice here, hope you don't mind! Thanks for reviewing…much awaited for!

**Deragonmaji**; Glad you still enjoying it! Thanks for reviewing… much inspiring!**  
**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb**: What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning**: this is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-13, A New Era**

In a dark room, a muscled man was told of what Ethan had been doing.

"An Ainu! In the family!" he bellowed, "get him on the phone immediately." The servant dialled up the memorised number and handed the phone to the Overall Master of The Phoenix Corporation.

"Ethan!" he yelled down the phone. "What is this I hear about you helping a wretched Ainu?"

"Master I can explain" Ethan stammered on the other end of the line. He was clearly shocked at the timing of the Master.

"I don't want excuses! You're fired!" The Master yelled hanging up the phone then ordered for another number to be ringed.

* * *

Derrick pulled out his cell phone as it rang through the icy wilderness; he fumbled for the answer button before it caused another avalanche.

"Yes?" he answered watching the snow caps for a slight movement. Then the voice caught his full attention. "N...now sir?" he asked making sure he was hearing correctly. "Yes sir!" he saluted unconsciously as he hung up.

"Ethan Günter! I have a warrant for your death." He yelled and drew his Knife.

"What? But you can't kill me! I am your leader!" Ethan shrieked hysterically, but Derrick wasn't listening. The other shamans held Ethan down as he struggled to escape. Derrick wielded Russian Knife high in to the air, and with finality he brought it down on the quivering man. His aim was true, as it always had been, and struck the very heart of the crooked man, ending his life, and his hold over HoroHoro.

* * *

Yoh watched as the girl was poked with sticks then left for dead. This was slaughter. It was slowly wiping the Ainu culture out. Its heritage was being stripped from the earth.

"This is wrong!" he said as his emotions got the better of him. He stood to find the being behind all this but manta caught his arm.

"Yoh, if you gonna do what I think you're gonna do then at least free the children first, they are the top priority now. They're lives are in your hands." He said releasing his sleeve. Yoh sighed and sat back down defeated,

"You're right Manta, let's do this!" he said as he watched Manta work frivolously. '**_I just hope Ren found HoroHoro._**' He thought to himself.

* * *

HoroHoro suddenly jolted in his sleep, as if his mind had just snapped back in to place, making Ren jump half a mile in the air and grip the boy tighter. HoroHoro let out a soft moan before waking up in Ren's arms; his groggy eyes took in the sight before him; Ren hovered in and out of his focus.

"Ren?" he asked, "What happened? When did you get here?" he asked as he began to sit but found him self in too much pain.

"HoroHoro? You remember me?" Ren asked startled that HoroHoro suddenly had his memory back. HoroHoro looked at him confused,

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked as Ren helped him sit up. He swayed slightly before crash diving to the left. Ren caught him before the Ainu's battered body took on another viscous beating.

"Maybe you should lie down for a bit." Ren suggested. HoroHoro just nodded and lay down to wait for the room to stop spinning.

"Where are we?" he asked after a while, realising he was no longer in the awful place.

"In a cave; don't you remember anything of the past few hours?" Ren asked still showing his protective side over the Ainu boy.

"The last thing I remember was when **_cough _**that man…he held my face to his… and all of a sudden I was in so **_cough-sputter_** much pain…it was unbearable, then there was nothing, until **_cough_** now." HoroHoro explained. His body began to ache all over, especially his chest and ribs. Then all of a sudden he was caught in a coughing fit that wracked his whole body and shook his skeleton inside him.

Ren was up and by his side immediately rubbing his back as the boy rolled over on to his side coughing and wheezing.

Finally the coughing subsided and HoroHoro laid there silently catching his breath, his head resting in Ren's lap, wondering why he was so ill.

"God, what happened to me?" he asked in a hoarse whisper. Ren looked at the boy who he'd risked life and limb for. HoroHoro was curled up on the floor in front of him, resting his head in his own lap, the Ainu's eyes were closed and he was sweating profusely but also shivering with fever and illness.

"You had your memory wiped clean Horo, but you were good." Ren paused, remembering how impressed he was with HoroHoro on that topic, and secretly vowed to take HoroHoro's judgement of people more seriously. "You knew something was wrong and ran away from the man who claimed to be your father." He paused again thinking HoroHoro had fallen asleep again, but the boy opened his eyes for a second,

"Then what?" he asked quietly, obviously trying to soothe his sore throat. Ren reached into his sack and found a small canteen of water and helped HoroHoro drink some of the refreshing liquid before continuing with his story.

"Then you almost fell off a cliff. And by the looks of it, you also fell into a frozen pond too because you were all wet and shivering like you are now." Ren recalled as he pulled the blanket out and wrapped HoroHoro in it. He held the shivering boy close giving him his own body heat.

"My lucky day." HoroHoro muttered through gritted teeth. Ren had to laugh at that, '**_Oh yeah, Horo's back_**' he thought to him self, **_'But how?_**' he wondered offhandedly. Not that he wasn't pleased that HoroHoro was himself again but it still nagged him in the back of his head.

HoroHoro was sleeping again, which worried Ren even more. No body falls asleep that quickly especially after news like that. Ren felt HoroHoro's forehead and his brow creased in frustration; HoroHoro was on fire which could kill him if it wasn't dealt with soon. Being an ice user, heat could be very lethal to HoroHoro and inthe weakened state that he was in he didn't have a hope in hell unless he got professional help soon.

'**_I have to get him out of here!'_** Ren yelled in his head, he looked around for an exit but the way in had been blocked, and by the time he'd have dug his way out it'd be too late for HoroHoro. His only option was to go further into the cave and hope that it led to civilisation.

'**_It's my only choice_**,' he sighed, **_'but that means waking HoroHoro up again and he really needs his sleep now._**' He cast another cursory glance around the dimly lit cave and spotted something in the back. '**_A small tree_**.' he mused, '**_why is a small tree growing in a cave like this?'_** he wondered, he then looked to the blocked entrance. '**_Oh I see! There would have been light here if there was no snow, and it's warmer in the cave_**.' He randomly thought as he pulled his gaze back down to HoroHoro who looked exhausted.

Ren had made up his mind. He carefully placed HoroHoro's head down on the floor and moved over to the small tree. There were a few strong branches he could use to make a crude stretcher. Digging around in his rucksack he found a coil of rope and he began formulating a plan. Quietly he set to work, using his Kwon Doe blade to cut the branches. He was not giving up yet, not while he had breath in his lungs and the will power to go on.

He was taking HoroHoro home, and nothing was gonna get in his way.

* * *

"There!" manta said triumphantly. Yoh stood and walked over to where manta was madly tapping away at his laptop.

"I'm into the mainframe, all I gotta do now is click this here…" he clicked at a random programme,

"Then re-route the electric switchboard to here…" he typed in a few commands on the MS DOS programme and clicked a few more buttons.

"And Voila!" he said triumphantly. "Your turn!" he said to Yoh indicating the Mic.

* * *

It was a normal day in the dungeons or so the guards thought at least until a voice came over the PA system;

"All guards are to go to the office immediately!" it said. They looked atone another confused,

"NOW!" the voice yelled, the guards jumped into action and began to run to the main office.

* * *

Yoh smiled, now he had to lock them in the office and then the escape could finally begin. He ran to the office undetected and silently closed the door, turning the key until a delightful click sounded.

"Phase two complete, begin phase three!" he said to himself as he ran back to the control room. He found Manta typing on the laptop,

"What are you doing now?" he asked as manta finished typing on the laptop.

"Take a look." Manta said returning his attention to his laptop. Yoh looked up to the screens and found all the doors open. He smiled in satisfaction and went to the Mic again.

"You're on!" Manta said.

* * *

Faust looked over at the door which swung open slowly. Ryu slowly and cautiously crept over to see if anyone was outside…

The coast was clear. He signalled to Faust who stood and followed Ryu's lead.

"Ladies and Gentlemen you mat exit the building via the open doors, you are free to go home. Just follow the exit signs, have a nice day." Came a very familiar voice over the PA system. Faust and Ryu smiled, that could've only be one person; Yoh!

The escape had begun!

* * *

All over the compound, doors opened, and children looked up wondering what was going on. Upon hearing the notice over the PA system everyone moved at once, cheering, smiling and yelling as their freedom had finally been granted.

They were going home!

* * *

Ren had managed to tie the branches together forming a makeshift stretcher, with a few more branches in the middle to hold HoroHoro's fragile form. He then cushioned it with a spare blanket. It was ready.

Carefully, so as not to wake him, Ren manoeuvred HoroHoro's thinning body on the crude stretcher. HoroHoro groaned in response and slowly woke up due to the movement.

"What, are you **_cough_** doing?" he asked as Ren wrapped him up in the last blanket.

"Taking you home." Ren said as he moved to the head of the stretcher, grabbing his bag on the way and shoving it on his shoulder.

"Oh…" HoroHoro said but the rest of his sentence was lost as his body succumbed to sleep again. Ren was really worried about him now; that had to be the second time he'd fallen asleep too quickly.

'**_I have to get him home or he'll die out here_**.' He thought to himself, **_'but can I get him there in time?'_** and all of a sudden, The Great Tao Ren found himself scared of losing someone close.

'**_Hang in there HoroHoro.'

* * *

_**

**_A/N;_** well that was 5 pages in word so I deem it longer than the others hence previous promise fulfilled, but now I've hit writers block! Any inspirations then tell me in the form of a review pls!


	14. It just got Uglier

**It is only a matter of time **

**I'M BACK! And I have a prezzi for ya! Yep it's chapter 14! And there's a new twist in here too. Btw this fic is totally writing itself, I have absolutely no plan for it what-so-ever! So let's see where my demented mind takes us all shall we?**

**Read on!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb**: What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning**: this is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-14, It just got Uglier! **

The compound was over run by Ainu children, who had been captured from all over the world. Faust wondered just how many Ainu tribes still existed to produce that many kids. But as he took a closer look, he noticed that many of the kids were now teenagers, or adults. This enraged him even more, but Ryu stopped him from acting irrationally, by placing a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be angry, be happy for them, they're free now." He said before following the crowds and escaping the torture hell.

* * *

Ren dragged HoroHoro deeper into the cave and slowly realised that he was going no where fast. He glanced down at HoroHoro who was sleeping in a fitful sleep again. He was having yet another nightmare, and this one looked bad.

Ren had been pulling HoroHoro for the good part of 3 hrs now and he'd had to stop almost 7 times because HoroHoro had thrown himself off the stretcher in a fit of struggles against whatever demons plagued his dreams. In the last fit, Ren and found some more rope and secured HoroHoro to the stretcher to prevent him from falling off again, but now he just wished he'd never let the Baka go on the delivery errand in the first place.

'**_Why didn't you tell me about them? Why didn't you warn us, or say anything? We could've avoided all this mess!' _**he inwardly fumed at the sleeping Ainu. He looked at the gaping chasm before him and the thin rock bridge that joined the ledge he was stood on to the other side of the deep abyss below.

'**_I'm gonna have to wake him up for this. There's no way I can drag him across that.'_** He thought grimly to himself, and then looked back down at the sweating boy, struggling against the rope that kept him safe. Begrudgingly he bent down to wake HoroHoro.

"Horo…" he whispered, whilst shaking the boy's shoulder. HoroHoro muttered something in his own language, before struggling against his bonds again.

"HoroHoro!" Ren said with a little more force, but HoroHoro remained caught in his demonic dreams. Ren sighed, it never was easy to wake HoroHoro, but now it's ten times worse!

"HoroHoro, please. Wake up!" Ren said loudly shaking the boy back to reality. HoroHoro suddenly bolted up right, breaking the thin ropes holding him to the stretcher, in a blind panic. Ren was thrown backwards slightly but only by an inch. He quickly saw that HoroHoro was in a panic and not quite awake yet, so he pulled him into his embrace tightly and tried to get him to calm down but HoroHoro was hallucinating right now and was having none of it. He struggled intensely against Ren, yelling out in his native tongue.

"HoroHoro! It's ok! You're safe! I'm here, nobody's gonna hurt you." Ren said soothingly. Quieting his voice as HoroHoro calmed down, finally realising who was with him, and that he was no longer in danger.

"Ren?" he whispered asking just to confirm he was dreaming. Ren hugged him tighter for confirmation. HoroHoro sank into his embrace, visibly exhausted, both mentally and physically. Ren cringed inwardly; HoroHoro was shaking, delusional, and didn't know what was real or not real, not to mention feverish, and sore all over, with a few broken bones here or there…how was he supposed to get him across the bridge?

"Where are we?" HoroHoro croaked, "How did I get here?" he asked clearly still out of it. Ren tried to hold back the anger and tears that attacked him from within and tried to steady his trembling hands. He was so angry at the Pheonex Corporation for doing this to his Ainu!

"We're in a cave, and we have to cross a very thin bridge to get home…can you do that?" Ren asked knowing it would be a very difficult endeavour.

"Home…" HoroHoro whispered, trying to remember what that was.

"Yes Horo home, where Pilika is waiting for you. She misses you terribly and is very worried about you." Ren said trying to get him to remember at least his sister, but in his state, HoroHoro was lucky enough to remember who was holding him let alone who these strange names were. But Ren knew that this memory loss was due to the hallucinations and fever and it pained him to see his friend have to suffer after seeing him suffer for so long as it was.

It just wasn't fair!

* * *

"Yes!" Yoh cheered as he watched the children disperse into the open ice caps, but a new problem arose. They started huddling around each other, lost in the snow, not sure where to go. "Uh oh." He sighed as he watched all the kids start to shiver.

Just then Faust and Ryu came up the stairs with a frown on their brows. '**_We need a plan' _**Yoh thought, and then he snapped his fingers and cheered;

"Ha! I have the answer!" he grinned, pleased with himself. "Faust, you and Ryu will take these children to Horo's village and we can arrange for travel there, me and manta will go and find Ren and Horo." He said but manta gave a small eep at that sentence.

"Can I not go with you Yoh...I just don't...like…the snow…" he trailed off feeling very stupid and shy.

"Ofcourse manta, you can go with Ryu and Faust can come with me." Yoh said grinning. Manta squealed with delight and hugged Yoh's knees to the point where Yoh toppled over on to his butt.

Ryu looked out of the window where the children were shivering in the cold.

"We'll need some clothes for them. They'll never make it dressed in those." He said after studying them and the map.

"Good point…well; they must've worn something when they were caught so those clothes must be here somewhere." Yoh mused while glancing around the office they had congregated in. Then he spotted something on the desk. It was a map to the building with labels on it. After studying it, he came up with another plan of action (A/N poor Yoh…all this thinking must hurt! Lol!)

"Ok, this room here is where all the clothes are, so me and Faust will go retrieve them while manta hooks up the speaker thingy again and you Ryu can tell them all to form a line and we'll meet them outside the gates." He said as he began to move toward the door. He left the two to begin their 'hooking up' while he and Faust searched for the storage room. He followed the map directly and found himself outside a large volt with a few iron bolts locking it shut. The bolts were easy to remove but the heavy door was slightly more difficult. Slowly they got the door open, and the first thing Yoh saw was…

"Horo's bandana…" he whispered. Images flashed before is eyes as he remembered that night when he'd vowed never to leave HoroHoro alone.

**Flashback!**

_Yoh woke up in the night, by a sudden scream in the room next to his. Seeing that no one else was yet awake, he decided to investigate and crept out of his room. It was then that he realised it was the new boy who was screaming. He slid the door open and moved inside and found the boy kicking and screaming in his sleep. _

_He wondered offhandedly what a happy, optimistic boy such as HoroHoro would have night mares about. He moved to try and wake HoroHoro before the Ainu woke the entire inn. He sat down next to his matt but HoroHoro shot up and grabbed onto Yoh's night shirt. Yoh nervously put his arms around the quaking boy, trying to soothe him, calm him down._

"_Don't leave me Yoh." HoroHoro pleaded, "I'm tired of being alone."_

"_What's wrong Horo?" Yoh asked trying to see the boys face but HoroHoro clutched his night shirt tighter._

"_Please! Promise me you won't leave me alone!" HoroHoro said louder with a little urgency behind his voice._

"_Ok I promise!" Yoh said quickly sensing that the boy needed to hear those words in order to remain calm. _

"_Thank you." HoroHoro said as he held on tightly to Yoh and began to cry. A few hrs later Yoh noticed that HoroHoro was now sleeping in his arms so he laid him back into his bed and watched him for a while, making sure there were no more nightmares plaguing his new friends dreams. When all was quiet he moved over the door, and then looked back once more._

'**What was all that about?**_' he wondered, '_**I'll ask him tomorrow.' **_he thought and closed the door before returning to his own bed._

**Present moment**

"I promised him I wouldn't leave him alone." Yoh whispered as he watched Faust dug out HoroHoro's other clothing and put them to one side for safe keeping.

Then with more determination than ever, Yoh joined him in sorting through the clothes and getting those kids back to where they belonged…home.

* * *

Pilika was sleeping soundly now, it had taken a while to get her to go to sleep but now she was and Anna could finally relax for a bit. She sat down on a chair and got comfortable, while leaning her head back and resting her eyes.

_Shuffle…_**BANG!**

"What the!" she yelped as she jumped out of her seat, suddenly alert and waiting for the enemy to attack. She never felt the club the back of her head, and she never heard Pilika scream in her room. She didn't even know she was unconscious until she was.

A gruff voice broke the silence;

"And then there were none…"

* * *

"Come on Horo. You can do it." Ren urged as Horo took another slow fevered step across the fatal bridge. He was supported by Ren who was on his left but soon the bridge became too narrow to stand next to each other.

Taking Horo's hand Ren moved in front and began to lead HoroHoro across to safety. That was the theory anyways and theories never worked out the way you wanted them too.

Ren was on the thinnest part of the rocky bridge when HoroHoro began to sway dangerously.

"Horo…don't you dare! Move it or you'll fall." Ren warned trying to keep his friend awake long enough to cross the bridge. But it was too late; HoroHoro fell to the left and off the side of the bridge. Ren clutched HoroHoro's hand but lost his footing and also fell into the dark abyss below.

* * *

A/N; ok that was only 4 pages I'm afraid but it's all I got time for at the mo, I'm supposed to be doing my essay! Anyways, more reviews equals more chapters posted sooner!

_Mimi_

_-xXx-_


	15. Another Secret Unfolds

**It is only a matter of time **

**I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! Anyways I've had a few hard times at the mo so you'll have to deal with me for a bit; some one close to me has just passed on suddenly and also I have had writers block for a while, so excuse my crappiness in these chapters**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb**: What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning**: this is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-15, Another Secret Unfolds**

Ren held Horo's hand tightly as they fell. He closed his eyes and gasped as he was suddenly submerged underwater. The current pushed him further down the rapids and against many jutting rocks but never once did he let go of Horo's hand; he'd come to far to lose him now.

"Yah!" he cried out as a rock caught his head. His vision swam dangerously and he knew that he would fall unconscious soon, but that would mean losing HoroHoro too, and he was not prepared to do that just yet.

But the more he fought it, the less of a fight he managed to put up. Slowly, HoroHoro's limp hand slipped through Ren's grasp as he succumbed to the numbing blackness.

* * *

The children were all dressed up and ready to go now…but Ryu wasn't looking too happy.

"Get off of my leg you brat!" he groaned at a small child who had claimed his leg as her own, smiling broadly and mumbling a huge thanks in her own tongue but Ryu being Ryu, he didn't understand what the girl was saying and began to get annoyed.

"Ryu she's saying thank you for saving her." Manta said as he walked up behind them.

"How do you know what she is saying?" Ryu asked a little peeved.

"I studied Ainu in school!" Manta said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Humph"

* * *

Yoh and Faust had already set off on their journey and already they were lost. That is until 2 familiar spirits showed up.

"Koloro!" the ice spirit bellowed in Yoh's ears sending him flying with fright.

"Yah!" he yelped. "Oh Koloro, it's you. Don't scare me like that!" he stood with a little help from Faust, and then suddenly brightened. "Koloro! Where's HoroHoro and Ren?" he asked

"Koloro!" she squeaked

"Master Yoh. We do not know, we cannot sense them anywhere, and neither have called for us either." Bason said appearing behind Faust making him jump almost as high as Yoh.

"Gah!" he yelped. Yoh stood and thought hard for a second.

"Why? Why wouldn't they have called you for help?" he asked aloud.

"Master HoroHoro was injured badly and is constantly sleeping but Master Ren would've called by now, I cannot understand why he has not.

"Well we'll find out when we find them won't we?" Yoh said as he began to walk in the direction that Ren and taken HoroHoro.

They soon came to a large cliff and decided to try and turn back but something caught Yoh's attention. When he took a closer look, he found that part of Ren's coat/cape had been snared on a tree far below them in the canyon.

"There!" Yoh said as he pointed out the black cloth to Faust.

"It looks like we're in for a long climb" Faust said as they began to climb down the sheer cliff.

* * *

"Horo…no…no…HORO!" Ren sat up straight as he suddenly came to. He looked around the underground cave. It was dark but he'd been here for a while so he could see…vaguely. That was when he spotted a prone figure on the other side of the underground beach. He quickly stood only to fall on his butt again

"Aaahhh!" he cried out as his leg gave way. "Oh that hurt!" he murmured, "oh Bason where are you?" in truth Ren had been wondering where his spirit friend had been, he'd called several times but the spirit didn't show, so he though that something must have been blocking his calls or something like that.

He crawled over to where HoroHoro was laid and quickly checked his vitals. Everything seemed to be ok until he noticed one major error in his judgement;

HoroHoro wasn't breathing.

"No!" Ren yelled and began CPR. Once, twice, three times he willed HoroHoro to breathe on his own but he remained slack on the rocky floor.

"One…two…three…four…five…" Ren muttered as he performed the chest compressions and took a deep breath but he had to choke back a sob of joy as HoroHoro shook and jolted, violently coughing up fluid from his over beaten lungs.

"Yes!" he breathed and clutched HoroHoro's shaking body as he wretched up more fluid and began to violently shiver.

"That's it Horo, you're ok now." He soothed '**_boy, I never thought I'd see myself as the caring one!'_** He thought as he rubbed the Ainus back soothingly.

"S...s...sorry." Horo chattered as he lay there shaking badly. Ren took off his coat/cape and draped it over the hyperthermiasmic boy.

"For what?" he asked as he curled up to the shivering boy to share body heat.

"F…for f…f…fal…ling…" HoroHoro tried to continue but found that his teeth were just chattering too much.

"Sh, it's not your fault." Ren said and just laid there holding HoroHoro and thinking about where Bason and Koloro were.

Soon HoroHoro had fallen asleep again and was having another nightmare; only Ren found he could understand this one…it was in English.

"No! Don't...Leave her alone!" HoroHoro groaned hoarsely as he struggled with Ren's grip on him. He watched as the Ainu's legs began moving as though he were running from something.

"Leave us alone!" he shouted out, growing more agitated as the dream continued. Ren was so focused on HoroHoro he didn't notice the small being that jumped from rock to rock to get a closer look.

* * *

The small girl hopped undetected from boulder to boulder, stone to stone, to get a closer look at the strangers that had fallen into the water. Such were the visitors that came to her people's land, that was until she recognised the markings on the ill-boys forearm, tattoos only an Ainu would bear, and only a few others could see.

Suddenly the other boy looked up in her direction and yelled out

"Who's there?"

Damn! And she hadn't made a noise…he was good, probably Shaman or like herself; Homo Magi. She quietly chanted a spell under her breath then directed it toward the golden eyed boy. She watched silently as the boy, suddenly clutched his head and slowly fell to the ground, asleep.

"Oh great Master Xiao, I hope you can forgive me for bringing strangers home." She sighed and walked over to the two sleeping boys. She grasped each of their wrists and chanted another spell, but instead of falling asleep, she and the two boys disappeared into thin air. Such was the ways of a Homo Magi witch.

* * *

AN; so what d'ya think? Who wants to know what happens next? Well review and I'll think about writing the ext chappi.

_Mimi_

_-xXx-_


	16. What just happened?

**It is only a matter of time **

**Ok here's the next chappi that I have worked quickly on just so that you guys can get a rough idea of what a Homo Magi is, but just so you know there's a more detailed explanation on my home site **

**http/ ice-ainu-goddess. tripod. com/ mimikueslittleicecave **

**Now for the reviews**

**Rena; **thanks, I live to please…I'm glad you're liking it, anyways here's the next chappi for ya, hope it satisfy you

**Nekoian**; I hope this has explained what you wanted to know but of you are still confused let me know and I'll do my bet to explain it better later.

**Chuck the evil gender confused **

**beaver of doomy doom doom; **oO… er love the name…oo;; anyways I thought so too but then it is K+ (for 9yrs or over), so its up to the reader…plus I don't think it's that bad…is it?

**Miss-K;** yeah sorry about that but updating is gonna take a while for me sometimes because I have my A Levels coming up soon so you'll just have to bear with me for a bit, but I promise I will finish this fic!

**Shaman of Fire; **don't worry I would never kill off my fav character…or would I?

**MeeLee; **that's ok, welcome to the group…if you want that is, anyways…I will be updating but it will be few and far between for the above reasons… glad you're enjoying ma fic though and thanks for the review btw.

**Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb**: What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning**: this is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-16, What just happened? **

Ren slowly woke up to several strange faces gawking at him.

"Yah!" he shrieked as he suddenly shot up and stood in a defending stance.

"Who the hell are you!" he yelled out ready to attack if he needed to.

"**He scares me Turima**." A small voice quivered in a foreign language as a small child huddled behind an older woman. Ren knew he was scaring the child but he was having none of it, especially when he noticed that a certain Ainu was missing.

"Where's HoroHoro?" he demanded as he glared at the strangers watching him curiously. He could tell they didn't understand a word he was saying and moved to go and find HoroHoro but a rather large shadow moved in front of the door way, blocking his exit.

The large shadow was followed by an even larger man who looked down on him intimidatingly.

"**No! He has been accepted by Father, he is to remain protected**!" a strong female voice warned making the large man tense. Slowly the man moved away to reveal a young teenager about the same age as HoroHoro, little younger than himself…then he remembered why he was in such a rage.

"Where is my friend!" he asked hotly and in a rude enough manner to let the girl know that he was not happy. The girl cocked her head slightly as though trying to understand the Chinese but she just couldn't.

Ren was just about to barge past her when another more familiar voice caught his attention. And he ran to the window immediately to confirm his suspicions. To say he was shocked was an understatement.

"**Ha! Can't catch me!"** a hyper happy HoroHoro called out with a certain carefree attitude. Ren watched speechless as the Ainu began dodging several snowballs being thrown at him by 6 or 7 younger kids. Then one hit him in the chest and he feigned his 'death'.

Waiting for no one, Ren ran outside and stood a few meters away from the heap the kids had created by climbing on top of HoroHoro. Then all of a sudden HoroHoro gave a playful roar and rose from the pile scaring a few children away while the others clung to his new top, laughing and giggling their heads off.

"Horo?" Ren asked watching as the Ainu turned to him. Horo's face lit up and he waved animatedly.

"Hey Ren! How ya doin- oof" he tried but a child had climbed on top of his head and clamped her hands over his mouth, HoroHoro fell back into the soft snow and playfully tried to get away from the little hands that tried to tickle him.

"But…how?" he asked aloud watching the miracle before him.

"He seems better, yes?" another female voice asked from behind him. Ren jumped and turned to face his attacker. Then he realised what she had said. He lowered his defence and turned back to watch HoroHoro run away and pretend to fall over.

"Yes. He does. But in theory he should be dead by now…not out here playing…" Ren said, revealing that his hopes had not been as high as he'd let on. "He could barely utter a sound, or move a muscle...how is this possible?"

"Through the eyes of wisdom lies the path of miracles and the unexpected," the girl said. This confused Ren to no end. He turned to tell her this but when he looked back, she was gone. He looked further in that direction a second longer, wondering where she went then sighed and turned back to HoroHoro but jumped at least 3 ft in the air. The girl was stood infront of him,staring at him strangely.

"How…but…when…you…huh?" he stammered trying to find out how his Shaman abilities had failed him. The girls face was mere inches away from his and she held an observant stare in her eyes. She frowned then turned and said "you are a most strange species."

"I'm strange! How the hell did you do that! And what did you do to Horo!" Ren burst out glancing at the carefree boy. The Ainu looked up at Ren's angered voice and quickly told the children to go play around the corner, before walking over to Ren and the girl.

"Ren? What's wrong?" he asked, with a worried expression on his face

"What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong! I travel half way across Arctica looking for your sorry ass, then I have to drag you most of the way back because your laying there dying on a stretcher, then we are caved in by an avalanche, and when we finally stop all the action I find myself waking up in a strange room with foreign people looking at me weirdly as though I'm some freak show and you're as healthy as a…as a…whatever you get my point!" Ren fumed.

"Ren, I'm sorry you feel that way about me, I didn't ask for you to come and rescue me, as much as I appreciate it, and these people just saved my life and yours too," HoroHoro said crossing his arms and turning away, "and by the way, we are strange to them because they have never seen anyone outside this village before now. The Homo Magi rules forbid it, only a few are allowed entrance to this sacred city of theirs." He said before walking off. Ren winced at HoroHoro's harsh tone he'd used and ran after him.

"Horo! Wait…I didn't mean what I said, I'm just really confused right now so would you care to explain to me what a Homo Magi is and how the hell you were healed?" Ren apologised whilst trying to catch up with the ice Ainu which was difficult for Ren seeing as HoroHoro had had more practice than him and was walking quite fast. HoroHoro sighed and stopped by a frozen fountain to sit down.

"Right where do you want me to start?" he asked as he watched the children play another snowball fight. Ren sat and took a deep breath.

"From the beginning; how did they heal you so quickly?" Ren asked as he watched the balls of snow fly through the air.

"Well they used their Magick." HoroHoro said simply. Ren recoiled.

"What?" he asked looking very lost indeed.

"Calm down and let me explain," HoroHoro said while smiling at Ren's confused look. "See, Shamans aren't he only different species out there. There are mythical creatures, witches, sorcerers, and even vampires and werewolves, but they were all nearly wiped out in the dark ages, and so only a minor few exist today. And some don't even exist anymore; the sorcerers are all gone because their bloodline was mixed with that of mortal people and now any descendant of a sorcerer has only about 3 percentof its blood in him/her." HoroHoro paused as Ren took in this new information.

"Ok, strange as that seems I can understand that, but how does that relate to these people?" Ren asked. HoroHoro smiled proudly at how Ren called them people and not things as he had expected him to.

"Well, the Homo Magi are a dying species who use Magick and spells to manipulate anything to their will, they are close to nature and worship everything about nature. They have 8 Gods and Goddess's; 2 for each element and an overall Ethereal spirit who creates these elements and keeps them in balance. Then there's Mother Earth and Father Skye who go about the earth keeping everything peaceful." HoroHoro took a breath and continued,

"These people healed me with a spell, and healed you with a reversing spell." He said stretching his arm above is head revelling in the fact that he hadn't been able to do that in what felt like ages.

"Healed me? Reversing spell?" Ren repeated before turning his golden eyes to the Ainu once more in confusion. "What happened to me?" he asked more annoyed now than scared.

"Well remember the girl with green hair and freckles on her nose?" HoroHoro said, Ren nodded remembering the first female he'd come across, the one who'd stopped the large man from hitting him.

"Yes?" Ren said slowly

"Well she's the one who found us in the cave, she got scared when you shouted at her and she cast a sleeping spell on you so you wouldn't harm her, but it went bit wrong… see she accidentally cast a wipe your memory spell, so she erased your memory," Ren looked very pale and HoroHoro gave him a friendly smile. "It was funny seeing you with no idea of who you were and for a few days you were nice and the people loved you here,once we got passed the language barrier,especially the kids, but then Niandra, the one you were talking to just now, found the reversing spell and gave you back your memories up until you were found in the cave." He continued.

"Oh, so how long have we been here?" Ren asked,

"About 3 days" HoroHoro replied before 3 kids came and begged for him to come and play with them. For some reason 3 days didn't seem so bad.

"**Come play! Come**!" a small girl screeched pulling at HoroHoro's new jacket.

"**Ok! I'm coming…so run**!" HoroHoro replied before standing to join them in their games.

"Wait! How can you understand them?" Ren asked as two kids made their way over to him.

"Easy, they're speaking Ainu!" HoroHoro replied before rolling a snowball in his bare hands and throwing one at Ren.

Ren stood shocked at what HoroHoro had just done. He was going to pay for that, but before he could continue his threat he felt a small pair of hands on his arms pulling him to the snowball fight, while their voices urged him forward. He got the hint; they wanted him to play with them.

'**_In that case, revenge is gonna be sweet!'_**

Ren picked up a huge handful of snow and rounded it off before lobbing it at the Ainu who cringed as the cold snow fell down his back, and grinned mischievously. He turned and threw another snowball at Ren. The fight had begun.

* * *

Yoh and Faust had been searching for 3 days now and not a single trace of the two boys had been found, they'd finally agreed to go back to HoroHoro's village and see if the proper authorities could be contacted yet.

Upon arriving they were greeted by Manta's worried look.

"Manta. Where are Anna and Pilika?" Yoh asked as he stepped into the Ainus house and removed his thermal.

"Yoh, there's no easy way to say this…they've been taken." Manta replied handing Yoh a scrawled message.

**Bring the boy to the Galaxy Inn or you'll never see the blonde again. Don't expect the bluenette to be there, she's already been shipped off.**

"Oh no…"

* * *

A/N; well that was a short one with not much action but it'll have to do…I had to fit it in somewhere! 


	17. A Blast from the Past

**It is only a matter of time **

**OMG! What was I on when I wrote this! Tea? Cola? Sugar...yep definitely the sugar… anyways, a big thank you goes out to my two good friends 'Ryan' and 'Emma' for helping me get over my writers block for this fic. **

**Thankies!**

**Also I'd like to thank my reviewers, who have also kept me going,**

**Thankies!**

**But now we must continue with the story…not many more chapters to go 'til the sequel!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb**: What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning**: this is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-17; A blast from the past**

It was snowing harder now and everyone was inside trying to warm up.

All bar HoroHoro and Ren who were just happy to sit and watch the snow as it drove harder into the frost filled canyon.

"I never did appreciate the snow before." Ren said as he snuggled up in his thermo jacket next to HoroHoro.

"Yeah, it's very calming and also very dangerous too." HoroHoro said in a dreamy way. Ren gave him a sideways glance and smiled; it was the first time he'd smiled in a friendly way outside his family's company, and it made him feel more alive, freer.

He didn't know what had caused this drastic change in personality but he didn't rightly care at that moment either, though he mused it could be due to the place they were in and they journey they'd taken…

…or it could be another stupid spell the witches had put on him…either way he was happy now and he didn't want this feeling to go away, but as with all happiness, sadness lurks behind somewhere.

He shook his head ridding these thoughts from his brain. For now he was just gonna enjoy his life…even if that meant starting another snowball fight!

He secretly took a fistful of snow and discreetly rounded it off, then smiled and took secret aim; he turned to face the Ainu but was shocked to suddenly find himself with a mouthful of snow! HoroHoro had beaten him to it!

"You can't catch me out Ren! I'm the snowball champ!" HoroHoro teased as he began to run for shelter whilst dodging the snow clumps that fell about him. Ren gave chase but slowed down as HoroHoro stooped to return fire. He quickly ducked and threw his snowball back at HoroHoro who dove to the ground and hid his face in the snow.

But when he didn't get back up, Ren started to worry. He moved closer and knelt down to the prone Ainu and called out to him thinking that now was the time for HoroHoro to remember.

But HoroHoro grinned and threw a snowball into Ren's face and jumped back up to run and hide. But just as he turned a corner, a small gust of wind brought him to a halt. He looked out to where a few figures were climbing down a vast cliff side, not recognising them he squinted and peered harder before realising just who these strangers were.

* * *

Yoh almost fainted when he read the note and had to be guided to the couch.

"Anna…" he gasped out as he sat in total shock. His body was numb and his heart had stopped beating along time ago…at least it felt that it had.

"we'll get her back Yoh, and Pilika," Manta soothed, "all we have to do is show up with HoroHoro then when we-"

"How can we? We don't even know where he or Ren is!" Yoh shot up and stormed out of the room. Manta looked over at Faust and Ryu, lost at what to do. He was not taking this well.

"Koloro!" Koloro squeaked and suddenly disappeared.

"Where'd she go?" Ryu asked, and turned to Bason who just shrugged.

"I cannot sense her anywhere," he said, and then sudden realisation hit them…

"Horo!"

* * *

It had been a long time ago when he was here last, but last time Pilika was with him and he'd been seriously ill with pneumonia and severe malnutrition. And it was all due to the damned Phoenix Corporation. But not all of his time here was a painful memory. In fact, he'd met a certain young friend here who had helped him in a rather different way to that of the healing Magick the older witches had used.

Ren was about to jump him from behind but stopped when he saw that HoroHoro was paying him no attention. He was looking to the skies with a contemplatory look across his face…

…it had taken HoroHoro years to hide the scars and pain from his parents, and now he had more scars and more hidden pain to hide.And in addition to the reappearance of his lost friend, he has to run from the Phoenix corporation again. He was tired of running all the time.

Then the memories took a hold of his mind…he doubled over and held his head as the painful memories reminded him of why he was running, why he was in the city. The pain became overwhelming as his body shook from the force of the resurfacing … and he screamed

Ren had been ready for this moment. Niandra had warned him that HoroHoro had been here before and told him that it had taken several days to remember what had happened to him. The Chinese ran over to his friend and knelt down beside him holding his shaking shoulders as HoroHoro quivered with the intensity of the resurgence.

When it was all over, Ren took HoroHoro into his embrace and held him while the Ainu wept and cried for all the pain to just go away.

Ren's heart went out to the Ainu, he himself had encountered many moments in his life time when all he wanted to do was go to sleep and have the pain all go away but it was a part of him now and he'd like to think he was stronger as a result but; looking back over the past few days…he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Horo…" Ren began but another, softer female voice spoke up behind him.

"Usui!" Ren turned and found a stunning beautiful girl running over to them. She had brown hair with blue streaks, and was fairly tall, taller than him at least but so was the rest of the population. He felt HoroHoro stiffen underneath him at the sound of her voice. She quickly approached them and felt HoroHoro's brow, then looked at him worriedly.

"He has a fever, we must get him inside. Hurry!" she said as began to haul HoroHoro to his feet but he fell down as the pain began again, this time 10x worse.

"What's wrong with him?" Ren asked, as he struggled to drag HoroHoro inside.

"I'll explain later now help me!" the new girl grunted, but they both dropped him in shock as he gave out a scream and suddenly went limp.

"Usui!"

* * *

A/N What's wrong now! Heh even I don't know and supposed to be the author here! This story is writing itself! 


	18. Will it never end?

**It is only a matter of time **

**Sorry for not updating sooner! I have been busy!**

**Ok this chapter was finished with the expert help of Nekoian who helped me get over my writers block**

_**THANKYOU!**_

**And to ShamanBabe for help with names and other stuff**

_**THANKYOU**_

**Also a large thanx to all my lovely loyal readers and all your lovely comments about this fic!**

_**THANKYOU!**_

**Story ending soon tho, so let's bring on the sequel!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb**: What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning**: this is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-18; Will it never end?**

HoroHoro was sat up in his bed, holding his head in his hands, on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"Horo, its ok…" Ren tried to soothe but he could tell HoroHoro wasn't hearing him…he was locked in his own thoughts, his own nightmarish world of self torture and sorrow.

"Ren-sama?" a small voice asked at the door. He turned to find Niandra at the door gesturing for him to come out so she could speak with him. Ren sighed; he didn't want to leave HoroHoro this way but he had no choice…he had to learn to get along with these people and help HoroHoro but that didn't mean he had to like it.

He stepped out of the room and closed the door quietly behind him. He looked up and found himself the centre of attention. The whole room was staring at him, some with suspicious eyes, others with interest and a few with minor pity.

"You wanted me?" he asked crossing his arms. The stranger from outside walked over to him and linked arms with him leading him to a separate room to speak with him.

"Yes I did. Earlier you asked who I was, and now I can explain all. Ask any question you want." She said sitting down on a similar bed to that which HoroHoro was currently falling apart in.

"Let's start with your name." Ren said leaning against the wall opposite her.

"Ok, that's a good start. My name is Lorena Syline." Lorena said introducing herself.

"Uh huh, so how do you know Horo?" Ren asked next, sitting himself down on the floor.

"Well, last time, I found them. I helped to heal him and after that we formed a strong friendship. But before he left, a prophecy was foretold that he will one day return and when that day comes, we will be united as one." Lorena explained whilst plaiting her hair into a braid.

"So you're betrothed?" Ren gasped almost gaping at her. He was thankful he was sat down now otherwise he may have fallen down.

"In a way…" Lorena blushed violently.

"YAHHHH!" a hair rising scream shrieked.

"Horo…" Ren breathed and was up and by his friend's side within seconds. He was writhing on the bed holding his head and screaming. Ren sat down on the bed and held him close but HoroHoro continued to scream.

By this point there were various other people in the room, trying to hold the bucking boy down while others began trying different methods of calming the boy. Lorena was the main one doing that.

"Usui! Listen to me! Its happening, are you ready?" she called out to him as he clutched his head in agony.

"What's happening? Ready for what?" Ren asked but he went unanswered and was pulled away from the bed leaving HoroHoro fighting on his own. He fought the restraining hands but it was to no avail.

"Do it!" HoroHoro screamed out, "Just make…it stop!"

"You heard him girls!" Lorena said and stood with her hands pointed in HoroHoro's direction. The others followed suit and they began to chant as one;

"**_Earth, Water, Wind and Fire_**

_**Spirits of the elements hear our cry**_

_**His time has come**_

_**His past undone**_

**_Convert his soul this very nigh!"_**

_(A/N spell does not work in real life!)_

An eerie light began to emanate from their open hands and surrounded HoroHoro. Ren watched as HoroHoro's body slowly calmed down and his eyes slowly closed once more. He intensified his struggle and began ranting;

"What the hell did you do to him!"

"Ren-sama, please…he knew what had to be done, and he gave his consent…it could not be avoided." Niandra said gesturing to the large man to release the enraged China man.

Ren was by HoroHoro's side immediately, checking his vital signs and making sure he was breathing while venting his questions again.

"What did you do? Why won't he wake up? Tell me!"

"Calm down and we'll tell you!" Lorena yelled. Everyone was silent as she walked over to the panicky Ren who jumped up in a defensive position and put himself between then and HoroHoro.

"What did you do to him?" he asked again but this time there was venom in his voice and daggers in his glare.

"He is no longer Shaman; he is now one of us; Homo Magi." Lorena said, holding her head high.

Ren went berserk, (**A/N due to language barriers, swear word content and my laziness, we're gonna skip what he said out loud; you could pretty much guess the basics of it anyways.)** he summoned his Kwan Doe and caught it as it flew through the rooms to his waiting hand, he spun it around and stood ready to kill the next person who peeved him more.

"Undo it now" he said growling out the words showing that he was not happy. (**A/N well duh**!)

"Ren-sama, you must understand, if it can be reversed, then he will be in pain again, it will eventually kill him." Niandra explained in a soft voice, "Don't let him go through that again." She pleaded. She looked up and directly into his amber eyes and saw confusion mixed with large quantities of concern and untrust. "Please."

Ren looked deep into the blue/green eyes and he could tell that they'd done the right thing…he lowered his weapon and sighed before turning back to HoroHoro who remained quite still and unconscious through the whole episode.

'**_I hope I'm doing the right thing,'_** he thought to himself, and then another thought hit his head.

"How can I contact my spirit and his?" he asked sternly.

"You can only contact your spirit if he/she is really needed. Koloro is on her way here." Lorena said as she sat on the other side of HoroHoro's bed and taking his hand in hers. "It is a most horrifying feeling. It burns but freezes your blood cold, it wracks you body but softens its touch, it is also very traumatising too."

"You've been though this?" Ren asked noticing that the people in the room were slowly disappearing.

"Yes, it was most strange and I called for my spirit friend, I also managed to reach usui, he wrote me a letter of how he felt that I was in pain…he is so sweet." Lorena said.

"Sweet isn't quite the word I'd use, but he's a good person and deserves a much better life than this..." Ren said remembering how his childhood was mild compared to HoroHoro's.

_**BANG!**_

Ren and Lorena both looked at each other in fear.

"What was that?" Ren asked knowing the answer full well. Lorena closed her eyes and concentrated…

"It's them…the phoenix corporation…they're here."

* * *

A/N well, already writing the next chappi! Tell me what ya think! 


	19. Love is lost but once

**It is only a matter of time **

**Ok! Only one more chapter to go! But first here's this one! Hope ya like…it was my first attempt at a battle fic and I think it went horribly wrong… :S**

**Again; thanks to all of you who have reviewed and remained loyal to this fic so far, you've inspired and encouraged me so much and words cannot describe how appreciated you are and how you have also helped keep this story going so give ya selves a pat on the back!**

**This fic is as much yours as it is mine!**

**!THANKYOU!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb**: What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning**: this is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch-19; love is lost but once**

Ren and Lorena both rushed out side, and watched as boys no older than 13 or 14, marched into the sacred village.

"Damn! How'd they get here?" Ren swore as he wielded his kwon doe ready for battle.

"I don't know but let's show em where the exit is!" Lorena said with venom in her voice as she called on her ancient power.

"With pleasure!" Ren said just as peeved. Then he noticed something out of the corner of his eye; the whole city had come to fight for they're sacred home. He suddenly felt a feeling unknown to him, well up inside him, it was a mixture of pride but not of himself, and of belonging…he felt as though he was home.

He watched as the enemy stopped, he heard them cry to oversoul, and did the same;

"Bason! Oversoul in to kwon doe!" he cried and felt the familiar presence enter the atmosphere, and he knew Bason was on his way.

* * *

"Master Ren!" Bason declared, everyone turned to the spirit," he has called for me! I must leave!"

"Not with out us you don't!" Yoh said as he stood, "we're coming too."

"But how? We'll never get there in time, we don't eve know where he is!" Manta began

"There's a way." Yoh said concentrating real hard (A/N ouch!) and focussed on Ren and HoroHoro's energy pattern. He found Ren's but no HoroHoro, there was a small glitch in between them and Ren and he figured that was Koloro. "Hold hands every one." He informed, every one grabbed a hand and formed a circle. "Now oversoul your spirits if you have one." He instructed and waited for them to comply. Each shaman oversouled and waited patiently, trusting their shaman king totally.

Yoh took a deep breath and channelled his and Amidamaru's power through the circle and focussed on Ren's energy pattern

"Bason in the middle." Yoh said Bason complied.

Crack!

They were gone.

* * *

Ren stood facing the enemy in a battle ready stance, fully aware that this could be his last battle, and that he didn't have to fight it but that didn't stop him, no, these people had brought out the best in him, and helped him realise his true feelings for his truest friend ever; HoroHoro.

He'd been taught that it was ok to love another, and he did, he loved HoroHoro but not in the way he was scared of; it was a platonic brotherly love he held for the Ainu…now Niandra on the other hand…

Ren found himself blushing at this thought, but was brought back to the present world when a loud Crack sounded and echoed through out the whole canyon.

When Ren next looked up, he saw Yoh, Faust, Ryu and Manta standing in oversoul with his trusty spirit beside them.

'**_Where the hell did they come from?'_** he thought to himself as the group looked around wildly, before spotting Ren. They immediately backed out of the battlefield and joined Ren's team, all bar Bason who oversoul into Ren's kwon doe.

"Hey Ren, thought you could use a little help." Yoh said, as he took out his Harusame and took up a fighting stance.

"How'd you do that?" Ren asked, he couldn't help it, he was curious.

"Heh, I guess being shaman king has its perks." Yoh replied, "What's going on?"

"Well they're the bastards that took HoroHoro, and now they want him back because they think he's the cause of all their trouble, which he is just not directly. So now they're gonna tear up this place to get him and there's no way I'm letting them tear down this sacred place!" Ren said becoming more and more angered as he ranted.

"Ok, well why are we just standing here like idiots?" Ryu asked wielding his weapon.

"Yeah! Charge!" Yoh cried and ran out into the field as hundreds of homo magi followed him, Ren, Ryu and Faust to what could possibly be their last action in this world.

* * *

Anna was hauled up to her feet and dragged out of the hidden cave in the side of the cliff side; she was then pushed down the worn paths that lead to a small city. As she was forced closer, she noticed that something wasn't right.

There was smoke and loud bangs emanating from the small city, and she somehow knew a war was being waged within its land. She was finally stopped on a balcony over looking the battlefield and felt her heart wrench.

Yoh was down there, fighting like mad, using his kingly powers but the enemy; the Shamanic Army, was protected from it. An unknown sorcerer must be shielding the young warriors, and they were thrashing Yoh's team.

Then just as she thought she could bear no more, she saw a small boy jump high behind Yoh and prepared to bring his curved sword blade down on his neck.

"Yoh! Look out!" she cried but all this did was paralyse him as he turned and saw her trapped up on the balcony. She watched in slow motion as the blade came ever closer…looming over Yoh's exposed back and neck….moving nearer…until…

Clang!

Ren's kwon doe stopped it in its tracks. The Chinese boy threw the smaller boy backwards and knock the kid unconscious. Yoh thanked him and joined the fight once more. But this time he made his way to Anna, with the aims of releasing her and finding Pilika.

Idly he realised that he and Ren's loyalties had swapped some where along this journey, he was now responsible for finding Pilika and Ren was responsible for HoroHoro.

Yoh found himself at the bottom of the building that Anna was forced into. He ran up the stairs and found Anna on the 3rd floor.

"Anna!" he called out gaining her attention d the attention of the 3 guards that had brought her here.

"King of shamans." A cold voice boomed from behind him, Yoh spun round but saw no one.

"Who are you?" Yoh called, "where is Pilika?"

"For those answers you will pay dearly, I challenge you to a duel, if you win, you and all your friends walk free, if you lose, you will give up your position as Shaman King and pledge your allegiance to me." the bodiless voice said.

"Does that include Pilika's and Horo's freedom too?" Yoh asked closing his eyes and focussing on the energies in the room.

"Indeed. Do we have a deal?" the voice asked. Yoh concentrated and suddenly felt the strange presence behind him.

"Yes" he said, and swung low behind him, he caught a glimpse of blonde and red as the body fell back. His eyes widened as he saw just who he'd struck down;

"Anna!"

* * *

The battle had come down to five Shamanic Warriors, and 3 homo magi including Ren who had not yet been defeated but was close to his collapsing point.

They stood opposite each other, keeping eye contact, not daring to breathe. It was like that for several seconds until one screamed out and led the last five of his troops to either victory or defeat.

Ren called up his furyoki and battled 2 boys who thought they could win. One swiped his sword at his head but Ren ducked only to fall into the second boys attack, low swipe with his long shi'nagle (a/n a long stick that is commonly mistaken for a hiking stick) and caught Ren's ankles, sending him to the ground. He saw from his position that Niandra and Lorena were also down and the shaman boys were now overpowering the large man that Ren still hadn't discovered the name of.

A few seconds later, he was also down and pinned to the floor. The battle was lost; all their hopes were with Yoh now, where ever he was.

* * *

A/N so only one more chappi to go…u want it? Then R&R or I won't post it! Mwahahaha (jkin) 


	20. Is it over?

**It is only a matter of time **

**Ok! LAST CHAPPI! And it's extra long for ya too! 11 pages on my word doc!**

**Thank you all for reviewing and staying loyal readers even when I hit a bumpy path but then not all stories can be perfect...except for 'War of the Elements' by 'fussionfirestar'- check it out XD -**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter it took me 3 days to finish!**

**_Wipes tears from eyes_ **

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of shaman king I'm just borrowing them for a bit of twisted fun.

**Summary/Blurb**: What if HoroHoro and Pilika had a tougher past than Ren? And what if that past came back so soon?

**Warning**: this is my first fan-fic on shaman king so excuse all the ooc-ness…oh and there's a few bad words…not much else really so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch 20; Is it over?**

Anna watched, from her position on the balcony looking in, as Yoh cradled a clone of her body. She struggled against her chains when she saw the heartache in his eyes, and knew he believed that he'd actually struck her. She was slightly taken aback at finding out how much Yoh actually felt for her, but she had no way of telling him now; the bastard had him in a mind lock and only he could break out of it…

She sighed…

...He was doomed.

* * *

His world was a blur…his mind a shambles…but still he managed to take in most of what was happening.

He was walking in a dream land of ice and snow…was he home? He didn't think so, it didn't look like home, but it looked familiar some how…

His eyes scanned the city before him; blood was everywhere, bodies filled the ground, and he could feel the evil lurking just beyond his vision…What happened? Where was he?

Then he noticed a familiar body close to him…'**_Ren? No, he could never be beaten in battle…could he?'_**

He walked up to the form on the floor and rolled the boy over…he gasped suddenly. **_'It is Ren!' _**

Slowly he realised that he wasn't dreaming…it was all real. He quickly looked around, and found himself in the middle of a very horrific battle field. '**_What the hell happened?' _**he thought and became very panicky as he whirled around and found more of his friends sprawled on the battle field either dying or dead…

…then he saw her. She was still, unmoving, prone to the elements and cold. He moved closer to her and felt the hot tears fall down his cheeks, knowing that he'd been the cause of all this.

"**No, this isn't real!" **He yelled and fell to his knees, cradling Lorena's inert body. He silently cried into her soft hair and held her close. "I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"**Oh but it is, little one…very real."** A horrid deep voice croaked from behind him. Carefully, HoroHoro laid Lorena's head down and turned to see who had spoken, but there was no one there.

"**Up here."** The voice said and HoroHoro raised his eyes skyward…there on a balcony was the overall Master of the Phoenix Corporation; Lun Chao. He was a young man but greying on the edges. He had a black cloak on and smart black suit to match…he was evil beyond evil…even more so than Asakura, Hao.

"**You! You did this!"** HoroHoro screamed at him, considerably irrated.

"**Yes, isn't it marvellous?"** Lun Chao said taking a long satisfied look around the devastated city. Destruction was everywhere, buildings were falling down, people were either trapped or dead in side them…children were either wandering the battlefield trying to wake their fathers up or crying for their mommies…it took all HoroHoro's will power to prevent himself from crying further at the misfortune that had followed him and destroyed yet another one of his homes and friends.

"**What's so marvellous? Everyone's dead!"** HoroHoro screamed at him. He tried real hard to control his anger and frustration but he was fighting a losing battle inside himself…and felt him losing control of what cool he had left too.

"**And now you will join them…" **Lun Chao said leaping off the balcony and landing in front of HoroHoro. He pulled out a long samurai sword and held it up for HoroHoro to see. "**Such craftsmanship…so detailed and finitely carved. Wouldn't you say?" **Lun Chao said as he moved closer to the unarmed boy who just stared at the sword in his enemies hands.

"**That was my grandfather's sword."** HoroHoro growled as the man moved closer still.

"**I know**" Lun Chao smiled then he swung the sword high over his head and managed to tug at HoroHoro's tank top that had been given to him from Lorena. HoroHoro ducked down in rolled forward into Lun Chao's legs toppling the man over before reaching for the samurai sword only to have it disappear from his fingers…

Confused, he looked around wondering what just happened but he was hit from behind by a powerful blast that sent him flying into wall.

"Ow." He moaned as he slowly stood up. But this time when he looked at Lun Chao he felt a surge of power run through his veins…it felt like an adrenaline rush but it was so much more powerful than that…it had a kind of Magick to it.

Without realising what he was doing, HoroHoro held his hand up to Lun Chao and chanted a low rhyme. He then watched as the sword spun from Lun Chao's hand and flew into a random wooden pole probably used as a telephone pole or something to that nature.

Lun Chao glared at the Ainu. This one wasn't so pathetic… '**_No matter, all Ainus were easily dealt with…'_**

Lun Chao smiled and raised his hands…he took aim…and fired

HoroHoro fell to the floor in agony. Lun Chao had done something but he couldn't see anything…blinding pain shot through his body as he curled in on himself…this was it now…this was then end…he could feel it

* * *

"Anna?" Yoh called as he held her body before him…tears flew down his face faster than Niagara falls, his body was shaking with the effort to keep in control but his emotions; his heart was winning out and breaking apart at the same time…how could he have done this?

"You haven't done anything Yoh." A small voice said…Yoh looked up curiously…he knew that voice.

"That is not Miss Anna. Look with your heart, not just your eyes." The voice commanded. Yoh did as he was told, feeling a slight trust in the voice that called him 'Master'. He looked deeper at the body in his arms, closer at the fine details of the contours of her face, the smells of her hair…that's when he started to see the true being he held. Her hair was darker with slight red streaks…she was wearing mascara, but Anna never wore makeup…her dress was a deep navy blue instead of the adorable black dress she donned every day…and her face…was longer…as though it was melting away…then he realised how true that statement was…the Anna in his arms slowly melted into thin air…

Yoh clamped his eyes shut and focussed on getting his brain back into his mind. Then just as he felt the edges of a memory, he screamed, he grabbed his head and fell to the floor on his side.

Then silence filled the air…

* * *

Anna heard an agonising scream from outside, she quickly tore her eyes away from Yoh and looked past her chains that held her to the rail of the balcony and saw the evil phoenix dude crash HoroHoro into a wall. She saw him get up slowly and hold his hand up. Suddenly the samurai sword in the phoenix mans hand flew out and embedded itself in a wooden pole. But just as HoroHoro was about to claim victory, the phoenix man held up his hands and…did nothing…or so it looked that way, but HoroHoro suddenly fell to the ground writhing in obvious pain.

'**he's gonna kill him!' **she thought to herself as she turned her eyes back to Yoh who was currently looking around himself, wildly…it looked like he was fighting the mind block. Then something caught her eye, in the background, just beyond her view, there was a shape of a person, some one… helping Yoh.

Then a horrifying thought hit her. '**Horo's fighting with out Koloro! He'll be killed!'** she quickly turned her gaze back to where HoroHoro was currently crying out in pain.

"Yoh! You have got to help Horo!" she cried out to the very confused boy who having a difficult time fighting his mind block.

* * *

Yoh couldn't determine which way was which. His mind was telling him one thing, but his body was telling him different. He felt nauseous and just wanted to curl up and sleep it all away but he knew that wasn't an option.

"Yoh!"

'**_Yah! What was that?' _**he thought as an ear piercing shout shocked him to alertness. '**_Anna? That you?'_** he asked but no words escaped his lips,

"You have got to help Horo!" the voice spoke again, but it was muffled this time, as though coming from a distance. He suddenly felt tired and cold, as though some one was zapping his energy away.

"Master Yoh, you cannot give up. You must fight this trickery." That strange voice again… '**_Master? I'm a Master?' _**He no longer knew anymore…

"Master Yoh. Think of the children you helped today." The voice said. Images flashed through Yoh's mind, images of children being killed in an arena, of others working in mines and digging or sewing or fighting…then another set of images flashed across his brain…the children were free, happy…going home.

"One of those children still need your help Master Yoh…you cannot give up now." The voice said in his regal way and vanished. Yoh slowly stood up. He turned toward the evil power emanating from his left.

* * *

Anna looked back at Yoh and saw him looking directly at her. She gasped when she saw the pure hatred in his eyes as he slowly made his way over to her. His Harusame somehow appeared in his hand and he began to move faster feeling a sense of urgency.

"Yoh?" she called as she tried to free her self in case he wasn't out of his mind block. "Yoh! Answer me when I'm talking to you!" she yelled getting frustrated. But Yoh just ignored her and jumped down off the balcony and over to the battle.

* * *

HoroHoro had managed to stand up and fire a large amount of pure energy into Lun Chao's chest that sent him backwards…and lost him quite a lot of energy too.

"Why can't you just leave me alone? Just go away!" HoroHoro yelled out.

"Because you're Ainu and Ainus are weak; they must be wiped from the face of the Earth!" Lun Chao replied

"I am not weak!" HoroHoro yelled back. "Nor will I go easily!"

"We'll see how weak you are after this!" Lun Chao said before charging again with all his Mana (furyoki).

* * *

Yoh jumped down from the balcony, still unsure of where he was and what he was doing in the real world. He had only the word of this trusting voice that guided him.

Slowly he made his way around the battlefield, not seeing where he was…it was almost like he was blind…but he could see. He didn't understand it at all.

Then he felt something deep inside him twist, painfully. Someone he cared about was hurting. He had to get to them, but how?

How!

"Open your eyes Master Yoh! Open them!" the trusting voice said forcefully.

All of a sudden Yoh was outside, on the battle field again, His Harusame in one hand, Amidamaru hovering over his shoulder. He quickly took in his surroundings and found to the left of him a battle between HoroHoro and a stranger. He ran at the stranger hoping to catch him off guard but he ran into a large powerful force field instead, stopping dead in his tracks…

…He couldn't get in!

And HoroHoro couldn't get out.

* * *

HoroHoro was alone now…Yoh was trapped outside from what he could see, Ren was almost dead and unable to help, he didn't want to think of the others…it was up to him now…

"What do you want from me?" he growled as he stood once again facing the enemy…he was not going down this time, not with out a fight!

"To drop dead." Lun Chao screamed and raced towards the boy who crouched in a fighting position ready to battle. But just when Lun was about to hit HoroHoro with his fist, he brought out his second hand with a small knife hidden inside…

He plunged the knife deep into HoroHoro's gut. HoroHoro gasped as his body fell upon Lun's. Shock paralysed him more than the pain, but he still drew breath and he still had fight left in him. He grabbed Lun's hand and managed to weakly throw him off balance. He then grabbed the knife and tore it quickly from his stomach, leaving a gaping wound behind. He clutched his gut and stood once more ready to face Lun Chao… to the death…for he had no other choice now.

* * *

Lun suddenly called upon his main spirit and fused with him. He didn't know who was more shocked, the Ainu or the pathetic excuse for a Shaman King.

His spirit, a spirit of fire, gave a grunt and became restless, wanting to get into action. Lun took that as the sign and charged.

He was just meter away from victory!

* * *

HoroHoro saw him coming and braced him self for the end. He knelt down in the snow and hung his head. He was no match against a spirit union with out his own…it was suicidal…let alone a fire spirit!

Thump, thump

He heard the footsteps coming closer…

"Horo! Move!"

Yoh's mad screams to get up…

"Koloro!"

Koloro's little squeak…wait a minute!

"Koloro! You're here!" HoroHoro yelled looking up as Koloro threw an ice wave at the enemy.

"Koloro!" the small spirit squeaked again and glomped her friend as though her life…er I mean death…depended on it. (A/N she is dead right?)

"GRRRR!" a loud growl bellowed as the ice wave smashed and melted away. Lun was not giving up yet.

"Koloro spirit form unity! Now!" HoroHoro yelled. He slowly began to notice the different feeling inside him this time…it didn't feel like the usual spirit form he'd done several time before, no this felt different.

When he looked up he saw Lun on top of him. He was too late.

Lun Chao's attack hit home with a resounding boom. The mad man smiled then lowly started to laugh madly…finally defeating the Ainu population…

As the smoke cleared however, a form could still be seen standing in the center of a large crater.

It was HoroHoro!

* * *

Yoh watched fascinated by how HoroHoro could survive such a blow…he looked on as HoroHoro raised his head and his eyes became visible…but they were pure white.

Slowly HoroHoro lifted his hand and aimed it at Lun then he chanted a few words. A pure white light shot out from HoroHoro's out stretched hands and engulfed Lun Chao.

"No! It cannot be! No!" Yoh heard his voice yelling denial as the light pulsated with power then exploded into a million thousand starlets.

Lun Chao was no more.

Yoh stood from where he'd been blown backwards, and looked around quickly to find HoroHoro. He was still stood in the crater, but as Yoh neared, he heard him chanting something. His voice was to low a whisper for him to hear but when he noticed that rubble was slowly rising to the buildings, it was clear what HoroHoro was tryin to do.

He was fixing everything Lun Chao had destroyed.

"Horo?" Yoh asked, wondering if he was ok…he'd been through a lot today, he could tell but HoroHoro remained focussed and unknowing of Yoh's presence.

"Ugh! What happened?" a familiar voice asked, Yoh turned to see Ryu slowly sitting up.

"Ryu!" Yoh called out shocked.

"What hit me?" Ren muttered as he stood holding his head…everyone was waking up…

Yoh turned back to HoroHoro who was slowly looking more tired. A crowd gathered behind Yoh as they all watched HoroHoro work. Slowly HoroHoro stopped…and collapsed.

* * *

"Is he going to die?" a shrill voice asked…

HoroHoro felt like shit. He ached all over, even in places he didn't even know about. And his head was splitting.

Slowly he opened his eyes and found at least a hundred pairs of eyes looking back at him. But the ones that stuck out the most were the bright blue ones directly in front of him.

"Pilika?" he asked squinting. Pilika cheered and glomped her brother hard, crying but at the same time laughing hysterically.

"What happened?" he asked randomly as everyone smiled and cheered as their saviour awoke.

Slowly the memories of recent event crashed back into HoroHoro's mind and he apologised profusely about bringing his problems to their sacred city, but the elders argued back that he in fact had no say in how he'd come to be in their village.

* * *

Days later… HoroHoro was ready to venture home, but he had one last question to sort out in the back of his head. He walked outside with Lorena and asked his question;

"Lorena? Am I still a Shaman?" Lorena looked at him and smiled.

"Ofcourse you are Usui. You cannot be changed from who you are, and you cannot become a proper Homo Magi without the proper initiation…" Lorena said sitting down on the frozen fountain wall.

"So what did you do to me when my head was splitting apart?" he asked, "and what was that power I felt inside me?"

"Well, back when you were 'splitting apart' we merely unleashed the real power with in you, see we also have a higher power too usui, we just unleashed it and let you become like us. The power you felt, was your own." Lorena explained smiling still. But HoroHoro, although happier in this new knowledge was still not happy.

"Lorena?" He asked, slowly (A/N how many time have I used that word already?)

"Yes Usui?"

"I'm going home soon, but I don't want to leave you. I'll miss you, like last time." HoroHoro said tentively. Lorena cupped her hand under his chin and held his icy gaze.

"Do not worry Usui. We'll always be together, the hands of fate beckon it, and though we may be small and far away, there will always be a part of me in you, and a part of you in me…we will meet again, as the great prophecy foretells." Lorena said before standing up and giving HoroHoro a tight hug.

"Thank you Lorena…you don't know how much that means to me." HoroHoro said into her hair.

"I believe I have a hunch…anyways you must go now…it is time, your friends await you." Lorena said before letting HoroHoro go and disappearing into thin air. He looked around startled by her rapid disappearance before grudgingly heed the calls of his name.

"Goodbye Lorena." HoroHoro sighed contently, and ran back to his friends.

After all goodbyes were said and many thanks were given, they gathered in a large circle and held hands. Those who could; oversouled when instructed to. Then a final comment made its way across the glaciers;

"Yoh? Why didn't you do this before?" it was Ren's voice.

"I didn't know if it would work." Yoh's voice said, and you could practically hear the sheepish grin plastered on his face. The group began to glow a yellowy white halo engulfing the friends.

"What!" Two voices, presumably Faust and Ryu, yelled as the light grew brighter and a loud crack resonated through the canyon and then disappeared completely.

"Goodbye Usui, we will meet again." she whispered into the dancing wind.

THE END

* * *

A/N: ok that was a quick ending and not one of my best but hey who cares. Sequel coming soon so don't worry! And there'll be a repeat appearance of Derrick and some other shamanic armies from different compounds…but until then….good bye! 


End file.
